RPM: Rebuilding a Broken World
by Knightwood
Summary: Now that Venjix is gone, the Rangers must rebuild the world that he destroyed. The question is, after so long in isolation, do they really know what awaits them?
1. First Step in a Broken World

A/N: This is the promised, serialised continuation of my RPM series. What I intend to do here is document the Rangers and their adventures as they work to rebuild the world from scratch. There are no guarantees how long this will go, but since my other continuation, Jungle Fury Normal Life just hit 120 chapters...Anyway. Anyway, hope you all enjoy it. Now for the usual stuff.

**Legal: **I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, events etc. Anything not covered by the above rights is to be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Rating: **T – May be adult themes, including violence and mild language.

It had now been a few hours since the Rangers had left the dome. Hicks was sitting at his desk in his office, shutting himself away from the others after they departed. He had removed his jacket, and simply thrown it into the corner rather than making any effort to hang it up.

His feet were crossed on the desk, and he was leaning back on the leather-bound office chair. He casually sipped a glass of bourbon despite it only being a little after midday. In his other hand, he was holding a crumpled, taped-up piece of paper, staring at it sadly. It was the picture she had drawn for him shortly before he found out about her feelings for him. It still hurt to think about the night before, when they had opted to end things rather than risk hurting each other further down the line by drifting apart. Gemma would be needed to leave the city, to go in search of the other colonies, while he found himself hopelessly tied to this place. He wiped his eyes with the heel of his palm as he thought about her.

"Hicks, Mike..." Vasquez came into the room, her words tailing off as she saw him. She knew he was upset about Gemma leaving, but she had no idea it had affected him so deeply. "Are you...?"

"What is it Vasquez?" He asked her, interrupting her question. They had shared a lot during their time together working under Venjix. While the fact he and Gemma had feelings for each other wasn't exactly a secret, she had an idea exactly how deeply they had become involved. He had excused himself immediately after they left. The others had simply accepted this and let him be, but clearly he had retreated there to escape. She could tell by his tone that he wasn't ready to talk to her yet.

"Mike just wanted to give you an update on the rebuild." She told him, putting a report down on the desk. "He wanted to see you, but everything's in there. I can tell him you're busy."

"Thanks Vasquez." He responded, flashing her a quick smile. Vasquez just turned and left the office, leaving him alone. He knew she wanted to help him, but right now, he just wasn't ready to talk.

Meanwhile, Gemma was in the VTOL jet, speeding its way across desert. Ziggy was sitting across from her, his head rolling gently with the movements of the jet as he slept peacefully. She was grateful that he was taking this opportunity to rest. Since Gem was busy flying the jet, it meant that she had time to herself to reflect. She pulled out Hicks' dog tags out of her shirt and began stroking them with her thumb.

She hated how she felt being separated from him like this. They had only been together a short time, they hadn't even had the opportunity to go on a real date, but she already felt a sharp pain in her chest any time she thought about leaving him. When he had been taken over by Venjix, it was all she could do not to end up going completely insane. Standing against him, being forced to watch him was more painful than anything they had done to her while they held her prisoner.

"Hey guys, head up." Gem announced as the jet pitched violently. "The distress signal originated only a few miles from here."

Gem hurriedly stuffed the dog tags back inside her shirt as Ziggy started to come to. He looked around wearily as he rubbed his eyes.

"Alright, I'm up, I'm up." He mumbled. "Do we have any idea...?"

"I'm picking up something on the scanner." Gem told them. "It's a city!"

Ziggy and Gemma climbed through, making their way into the additional seats in the cockpit, strapping themselves in as Gem blasted past some tall, jagged cliffs. As they cleared a natural stone basin, they all looked on in awe at what they saw.

"Well I didn't expect anything like this!" Ziggy gasped as they stared out the cockpit. While much of the landscape was rocky and desolate, there was a large area that sprang up from the earth like a heavenly oasis. For almost ten square miles, the city was surrounded by high, impenetrable steel walls, behind which was a lush, green forest, interspersed with crystal blue lakes.

The city itself was awe-inspiring. It rose out of the ground, reaching towards the heavens in glittering glass and steel. In this broken world, it looked like this place had, if not survived untouched, if anything improved. In its centre was one particularly dominant building, which appeared to be almost half the size of Corinth City all by itself, and extended high into the sky in a pointed spire, scraping the cloud line.

"I can't believe anywhere like this exists." Gemma whispered, barely able to believe what she was seeing. "I thought Venjix destroyed everything!"

"Well everything can't be that great." Gem reminded them. "They did send out a distress signal."

"Do a scan, find out who's here." Ziggy instructed him. Gem performed the appropriate scan.

"There are approximately 7 million people in there." He informed them. "There's no trace of active Venjix warriors."

"There're no Venjix drones in the area?" Gemma asked them. "Then why did they send out a distress signal?"

"I guess we can ask when we land." Gem suggested with a shrug. "I think I can open up a channel..."

"Gem, look out!" Ziggy screamed, pointing to the glass. A huge energy blast flew towards them, slamming into the jet. The craft pitched and shook violently and the Rangers were thrown around in their harnesses.

"What the hell was that?" Gemma shrieked.

"It didn't come from the city." Gem informed them as he struggled to maintain control, his vision restricted by smoke billowing from one of his wings. "Hang on, here comes another!"

He managed to swerve, avoiding the second blast. It was then that Ziggy noticed another blast coming from one of the high peaks. Despite the damage, Gem managed to avoid it.

"I think I know why they sent out a distress signal." Ziggy told them. "Someone out here is seriously anti-social."

The jet shook as another blast slammed into it. Alarms started to sound, and Gem struggled to maintain control.

"It looks like we're going to have to eject!" He told them. "My controls are almost completely out. I can make it inside the wall, but I can't control the landing. I'll need to ditch it into the forest to prevent it hitting the city."

Ziggy and Gemma both tightened their harnesses as Gem locked in the course. He activated the switch, blowing the top. The three Rangers all fired off their ejector seats.

They hurtled towards the ground, detaching themselves from their seats. Gem and Gemma watched in horror as the release in Ziggy's chair misfired, leaving him strapped into it. It spun out of control, hurtling towards the ground far from the wall as their chutes deployed. Gemma was winded as the harness tugged painfully against her when her chute deployed, slowing her descent. She breathed a sigh of relief as Ziggy finally managed to release himself and deploy his chute.

"He's too far out; he'll never make it inside the wall!" She yelled to her brother.

"He has his morpher. He'll be alright." Gem told her. "Now we just have to worry about where we're going to land."

Back in the city, Summer was sitting on a table in Dr. K's lab, fidgeting nervously as the tiny doctor worked. Sam and Tenaya were there to support her.

"Dr. K, it's far too early for a scan to work." Summer sighed, watching as she worked frantically on something. "Nothing will show up on a sonogram for weeks yet."

"The scanners at the hospital will not show anything yet." Dr. K agreed. "However, I think this might work."

She held up a scanning wand for them to see. Summer looked at it a little sceptically.

"Um...isn't that for scanning Venjix technology?" She asked her younger friend. Dr. K rolled her eyes.

"I've adapted it to scan for sound as opposed to technology." Dr. K informed her, gesturing for her to lie down. "It won't show an image, but it should be able to find a heartbeat."

Summer lay down on the bench, staring up at her nervously. Tenaya held her hand softly to comfort her. Dr. K ran the scanner over her abdomen, trying to find a heartbeat.

"Why are you doing this?" Summer asked her. Dr. K looked to her, trying to decide if she should tell her.

"Summer, you did go through a major battle while you were pregnant." She reminded her quietly. "I just want to..."

"You think I might...?" Summer began, starting to rise from the table. Tenaya and Sam grabbed her gently, stopping her from getting up.

"Summer, she's just being cautious." Tenaya said, semi-truthfully in an effort to calm her.

"Summer, you have to try and relax." Sam told her. "This won't do any good."

"I didn't know I was pregnant!" Summer yelled. "Oh my God, the baby, did I...?"

"I just want to see how the heartbeat is." Dr. K assured her, beginning to regret telling her the truth. Summer had clearly been thinking about this possibility for a while. She had thought that this scan might put her mind at ease, but now it had only brought the thought to the fore of her mind. "Please, try to relax. If your heart rate is elevated, it may throw off the scan."

Summer lay back down, her mind racing as she thought about what could have happened. She had suffered extensive injuries, even despite the Ranger suit as a result of the battle, and especially the final blast. Of course back when they first became Rangers, Dr. K had warned her about the dangers of becoming pregnant. She hadn't really listened to her then, getting pregnant was the furthest thing from her mind. Right now though, she could almost remember her saying something about morphing while pregnant. She wasn't sure what would happen, or what if any affect it would have on the baby.

Dr. K continued to run the wand over her abdomen, seeming to take hours. Summer was finding it harder and harder to stay calm.

"Are you sure it's working?" She asked her. Her grip on Tenaya's hand tightened.

"Summer, just give this a chance." Sam told her.

"I can't hear anything!" Summer yelled, becoming noticeably agitated. A tear started to run down her face. "Oh my God, please no!"

"Summer, calm down..."

"There's no heartbeat, it's too late, it..." Suddenly, Dr. K held up a hand, smiling as she found just the right spot.

"Here." She told her, turning up the volume on the computer the wand was attached to. Summer whimpered a little, finally managing to hear it. It was tiny, weak as a result of the baby's early stage of development, but she definitely heard the heartbeat. "Your baby is fine."

"That's my baby?" Summer asked her for confirmation. It had terrified her not knowing one way or another what was happening. The thought had occurred to her a couple of times that there may be complications with the pregnancy as a result of her injuries in the battle. It terrified her to think that she might have already lost the baby, but being unable to know for weeks. Now though she had the confirmation she needed to alleviate her nerves. She smiled as she listened on. It was the most amazing thing she had heard.

Back at the new city, Gemma crashed through some tree branches as she made her way towards the earth, shielding her face with her hands as branches whipped her flesh painfully. She finally came to rest as her parachute got caught in the branches. As she swung above the ground, she looked down, finding herself only about six feet from the ground. Timing it so she was suspended above flat ground, she released her chute, tumbling to the ground.

"Well that was smooth." She muttered as she pulled herself up onto her butt. "Just as well Gem didn't see that."

Just then, she noticed a rustling in the undergrowth. Looking around, she tried to get a bearing on who was there.

"Gem?" She asked nervously. "Gem, is that you?"

A shot rang out, hitting the earth just a little way from her. Suddenly, there was a rustle from the other direction, and a few men broke through the undergrowth, pouring rounds into the undergrowth. Most of them disappeared into the undergrowth, firing rounds as they went, pursuing whoever had attacked her. One remained behind with her.

"It's alright, they're gone." He assured her. Gemma looked up at the stranger. He was, without exaggeration, simply breathtaking. He was around six-foot six, and wore a white, airy shirt draped over his shoulders, which he left open, revealing his statuesque toned chest and abdominal muscles. His trousers were tight, showing his legs to be no less impressive. He had a strong jaw and cheekbones, covered by tanned, smooth, unblemished skin. He had icy blue eyes, and long, flowing blonde hair that made him look far more like a painting of some fictional hero than a real soldier. He turned and looked down on her, flashing her a smile, rimmed with perfect white teeth. "You are safe."

Gemma never spoke as he offered her a hand. She just took it, at which he effortlessly helped her out of the mud.

"My name is Julian. Welcome to Eden." He greeted her. "We found your craft in the jungle."

"Sorry about that." Gemma told him. "We were shot down..."

"The mutates." He interrupted her. "I'm sorry, but not everyone around here is friendly. It was some of them that attacked you here."

"What did I do to them?" She asked him. He shook his head.

"Sadly they don't need a reason to attack. Usually we manage to keep them outside the wall, but unfortunately that doesn't stop them making the occasional incursion, or taking pot shots at our air craft." He told her. "We found a man dressed similarly to you a little way off. He landed in the nearby lake. I presume he is with you."

"That's my brother Gem." She informed Julian as he gestured to the woods. A couple more men appeared, carrying weapons, but also carrying blankets. One of them offered her a blanket, which she was grateful for, being dirty and wet as a result of her somewhat less than controlled landing.

"Come, we have a vehicle. I shall take you to The Spire." He told her. "I have a vehicle nearby..."

"We have another friend with us." She told him. "He landed somewhere outside the city."

"Then Heaven help him." Julian replied. "I promise we will do what we can to trace him, but outside the wall, he is defenceless against them."

"Ziggy isn't exactly helpless." She replied, casting a look out towards the wastes. Although Julian had found her and Gem, she had no idea where Ziggy was, or what was happening to him. She was right that he wasn't helpless, he had his morpher with him, and he had showed himself to be more capable than anyone gave him credit for as a result of his time with the Scorpion Cartel. She just wished she was as confident as she sounded to her rescuer.

Out in the wastes, Ziggy finally disentangled himself from his parachute. He looked around, finding himself standing on a rocky plain about a mile or so from the wall.

"I guess I'm walking." He grumbled, beginning to make his way towards the city. As he started to head in the direction of the glittering metropolis, he paused for a second, hearing a slight crunch.

He turned slowly to see what it was, finding no one there. He couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched, and since he had already been shot at once, he was reluctant to ignore such suspicions.

As he turned back toward the city, starting to walk a little more quickly, he heard a slight buzzing sound, before his feet simply stopped moving and he fell face-first to the ground. Looking down, he saw his feet bound by bolas.

As he looked towards a rocky crag a little way away, he saw a hideous creature rushing out, carrying a lariat, swinging it over its head. He reached for his morpher, but the creature managed to lasso his hand. Another that he hadn't seen emerging from behind him managed to hook his other hand, at which they pulled sharply, separating his hands and preventing him using his morpher.

He struggled, but they were too strong for him. As he struggled, another creature came out, carrying a rifle. It was a hideous, twisted creature with a hunched back. Its limbs looked thin and frail, but it carried itself with confidence, and the way it carried its rifle indicated it was stronger than it appeared. Its skin was a sickly pale green, and covered in scars, warts and boils. Its nose was turned up at the tip, giving its face a slightly squashed appearance.

"Ok, you are definitely not Grinders, or robots." He stated, eyeing up the creature as it inspected him. "I just hope you aren't one of those cannibalistic..."

"Actually, I'm a vegetarian." The creature interrupted him in a slightly gravelly voice emanating from its throat.

"You can talk?" Ziggy gasped. The creature just hefted its rifle, smashing the butt into his head, knocking him unconscious.

"These normals talk too much." It stated. "Bring him to the master. He will know what to do with him."


	2. In the Garden of Eden

Back in Corinth, Dr. K was on the communications link, contacting Scott. It was the end of the first full day since they had left, and already she was missing him dreadfully. Not least of which was because so far only he knew what she had found out about her life before Alphabet Soup. Everyone was so focused on the missions at hand that she hadn't even told anyone about her real name.

"So is everything alright out there?" She asked the man she loved.

"We're all just getting ready for the night." He informed her with a little smile. "Dillon and Flynn are already arguing about who sleeps where. We've found a place to park for the night; we're just about to activate the complete security lockdown."

He saw her nodding as he said this, but could see the look on her face through the viewing screen. She still seemed upset about everything. He couldn't blame her really, less than two days ago she had found out her whole life had been a lie. She had found out everything she thought she knew about her life was all part of some kind of sales agreement between her parents and a weapons manufacturer.

"Sarah, how are you coping?" He asked her. Dr. K just shook her head and shrugged.

"I'm coping." She told him in a weak voice. Scott just tapped the screen.

"You know you don't sound convincing right?" He asked her. "Have you told the others yet?"

"I haven't gotten around to it." She whispered, into the microphone.

"Sarah, you've just had a hell of a shock. You need people around you." He told her. "I know I can't be there for you, but the others can."

"There's so much going on here though." Sarah reminded him. "First I had to scan Summer..."

"Wait, you gave Summer a scan?" Scott asked her. "I thought the baby wouldn't show up for weeks yet."

"I just scanned for a heartbeat. I wanted to make sure nothing had happened to the phoetus during the battle." She told him. "The heart is still beating. The baby is fine."

"I'm sure Dillon will be glad to hear that." Scott said with a grin. "When they weren't arguing over where they'd be sleeping all they could talk about was how excited they are about their kids."

"But there's so much..."

"Sarah, do you know what the main thing about being in a family is?" He asked her.

"How would I know that?" She asked him.

"The main thing about being in a family is you CAN inconvenience them." He informed her, ignoring her remark. "No matter how busy they get, no matter how many personal crises there are, family is always there to help."

He touched the screen softly, at which she repeated the gesture on her end. He smiled at her.

"You only have to ask, Summer, Tenaya and the others will be more than happy to be there for you." He told her. "I love you Dr. Sarah Truman."

Dr. K felt a tear forming as he used the name she would likely adopt when they were married.

"I love you too." She replied. "Tell Dillon that Summer's sleeping right now, but I'll let her call in the morning."

"I'll tell him." He replied. "Over an out!"

Over in the city of Eden, Gem and Gemma were finally brought into the city from the jungle. Julian and a couple of guards rode in the back with them as the transport vehicle drove into the city.

Gemma pulled the blanket around herself a little more tightly as she sat in the vehicle. Gem though quickly shed his blanket and leapt to the window, looking out at the city.

It was no less grandiose on the inside than it had been when they saw it from a distance. The streets were all immaculately clean, free of litter and well-lit. The bars, restaurants and clubs all appeared to be open despite the late hour. People wandered around, going about their business without a care in the world, while a few guards patrolled.

"This place is amazing!" Gem yelped, looking out at the streets. It was awash with lights and music.

"If you think that's good, you should see my place." Julian told him, putting a hand on Gemma's shoulder and gesturing up to The Spire. They both looked at him a little shocked.

"You live in The Spire?" Gem asked him. "I thought you were just taking us there because it's the command centre."

"It is." Julian told them. "I run this city. The citizens sometimes call me a prince, but it isn't an official title, just a little honour they decided to bestow upon me."

As they pulled into a rolling door in the base of The Spire, the vehicle went down into a garage, which was almost the size of the race track Fresno Bob used to own back in Corinth. It was filled with vehicles of every imaginable shape and size, from cars and motorcycles, through yachts and speed boats, right up to a jet much larger than the one the twins had arrived in.

"This city truly is amazing." Gemma commented. "How did the city survive the attacks in such...?"

"You were expecting the city to be in ruins?" Julian asked her. He snapped his fingers and a fully grown tiger appeared before them. Gem and Gemma jumped in fright, but Julian didn't react as it approached him. Instead, he just reached out to it, beginning to stroke it.

"This city was hit hard in the Venjix attacks. It was almost completely destroyed." He began as the tiger purred contentedly. "We fought as long and hard as we could. Most of the city perished, but that's when I made the discovery that tipped the balance."

"What discovery?" Gem asked, keeping as far away from the tiger as he could. Julian just laughed.

"This city was built on a powerful magical epicentre." He informed them, snapping his fingers again. Immediately the tiger shrunk down into a far less intimidating little cub. He nestled it into the crook of his left arm and approached them, gesturing to them that it was alright to stroke it. "While the others worked to fight a hopeless war, I brought together a coven of apprentices, and we studied the ways of ancient magic. Augmented by the power of the epicentre, our power grew quickly. Before long, our power eclipsed that of the Generals Venjix sent against us."

"You drove Venjix back?" Gem shrieked as he reached out, beginning to pat the tiger cub nervously.

"I have no doubt that if Venjix concentrated his attack on us, we wouldn't have been able to match him, but apparently he had other areas to focus on." Julian told them. "We drove them back. Once they were gone, we founded the city and started to rebuild. The citizens were so grateful that they chose to honour me. Between my magic and their technology, we built the city into what you see here."

"If everything's so great here, why did you send a distress signal?" Gemma asked him. Julian shook his head as the tiger cub disappeared, sighing deeply.

"We sent no such signal." He informed them. "I have a feeling you have been lured here by the mutates."

"What are the mutates?" Gem asked him. "Why do they attack you?"

"How are we going to find Ziggy?" Gemma asked him. "We need to..."

"I promised we'd do what we can to help your friend." Julian assured them, gesturing over a couple of guards. "Take them up to the palace level. Find them rooms and get them cleaned up."

"But..."

"Trust me, until we find your friend there's nothing we can do." He told them, putting an arm around Gemma. It didn't feel right to have him touch her like that, to have any man touch her that way. He was a handsome man, that much hadn't escaped her notice. If it wasn't for how she felt about Hicks, she would probably have a lot more thoughts about him, but as he touched her, all she could think about was Hicks. "Call up and have them both provided with rooms and drawn a bath to clean up. Have fresh clothing brought to them. If they require anything else, have it brought to them."

"It will be done your highness." One of the guards replied. As Gem was led away, he took Gemma gently by the wrist, and turned her to face him.

"If you're hungry, thirsty, anything at all, my servants are at your disposal." He informed her. "I will be up shortly once we find your friend's location."

"Thank you." She whispered, before turning and going with the guard. As the elevator doors closed behind her, she reached to her chest, stroking the spot where Hicks' dog tags were. They needed to find Ziggy, and they needed to find out what was going on here, who these mutates were and to stop them. She couldn't help feeling guilty about the fact while she had all this to do; she still loved the sound of a hot bath, fresh clothes, and a hot meal.

In the wastes outside of Eden, Ziggy woke up, finding himself locked in a crude cage, made of wood lashed together into a frame. Looking down to his wrist, he noticed that he still had his morpher with him. Obviously his captors didn't know what it was, or what it could do. He knew he could easily escape, but even if he did get out of the cage, he needed to know how to get to the city.

The creature that had taken him prisoner was a little way off, cleaning his rifle. Well, Ziggy presumed it was a male, but in truth, the mutations made it hard for him to tell. He went to the bars, gesturing the mutant over. It just curled its lip at him in disgust.

"What do you want normal?" It sneered at him. "Do you think you can just beckon me like an animal? Do you think I'm...?"

"I'm sorry, that was rude." Ziggy interrupted him, realising that the creature had taken offence. "Where am I? Why did you kidnap me?"

"Why do you think normal?" The mutant spat in disdain. "If it were up to me, you'd already be dead, but the master wants us to bring all normals before him for judgement."

"Judgement?" Ziggy asked him. "You shot me down! I've never even seen this place, let alone done anything..."

His words tailed off as he realised he was close to losing the mutant's attention. The last thing that would help was to alienate his captor.

"When is the master coming to judge me?" Ziggy asked him. The mutant laughed.

"He has been busy on a raid into the Jungle of Eden with some of my allies." He told Ziggy. "The Dragon Lord will be back in a few hours."

Ziggy shifted a little closer to the bars, taking a seat nearby.

"I just have to ask. You said you were a vegetarian." Ziggy said with a smile. "Is that true?"

"You have nothing to worry about normal." The mutant chuckled. "I will not eat you."

"By any chance could I get something to eat?" He asked. The mutant considered his position for a moment, before finally coming to a conclusion. He whistled, at which a small mutant came in. This one was not quite so badly affected as him, clearly female. She appeared to be With the exception of some dark blue blotches on her shoulders and upper arms, and bright purple hair and eyes, she appeared almost normal.

"Get our prisoner some stew." He instructed her.

"But dad..."

"Just do as I say." The mutant reiterated. She looked to Ziggy, an unexplained hatred flashing in her eyes, before turning and leaving. He turned back to Ziggy.

"That's your daughter?" Ziggy asked him. "How old is she?"

"She is 19." The mutant told him. "I know she looks like a child, but I assure you she is a woman."

"I have a son." Ziggy told him. He looked in his pocket, before realising that his wallet had been taken. "I have a picture in my wallet."

The mutant shifted the rifle to his other arm, before searching through a small collection of items at the corner of the room, finding Ziggy's wallet. He opened it, searching through it before pulling out a picture. It showed Ziggy and Tenaya, standing side by side, Tenaya holding Alex gently. It had been taken a few days before he left Corinth.

"He is a handsome boy." The mutant agreed. "This woman is your mate?"

"She's my fiancée." Ziggy confirmed. "If I get out of here, I hope to marry her."

"That all depends on the Dragon Lord." The mutant told him. Just then, the female mutant came back, carrying a small bowl. Her face seemed just as harsh and unforgiving as before. She knelt down, shoving the bowl through the bars roughly, spilling some on the floor. Ziggy looked up to her.

"Thank you." He told her. The girl paused, almost as though he had said something amazing. Eventually, she turned and left the room.

"She is not used to hearing those words from a normal." The mutant guarding him informed him.

"What can I call you?" Ziggy asked him, beginning to shovel some stew into his mouth. There were tiny chunks of meat, some mushrooms, and a few other vegetables in thin, watery gravy. It was surprisingly tasty, though he was sure that with choice, he would have chosen something else, but all things considered, it was good. The mutant thought about it for a moment, before answering.

"I am Graeme." The mutant told him.

"Ziggy." He introduced himself, through a mouthful of stew. "This is great. What's in it?"

"It's probably best you don't know." Graeme responded honestly. Ziggy paused for a second as he thought about what he had said. It wasn't like he had seen a farm, or any livestock. He finished his last couple of mouthfuls and put the bowl down. He had no idea when, or even if he would be fed again. Instead, he just concentrated on trying not to think about what they might have made that stew out of.

Back in the city, Gemma had just finished with her bath, and made her way into the room she had been given. It was excessive to say the least. It was at least twice the size of Hicks' whole apartment, just in the bedroom. The bed looked like it was large enough for a whole family, and covered in plump, crimson pillows, and thick, soft quilts elegantly embroidered like a tapestry. The walls and floor were white marble, though the floor was heated, meaning that after leaving the bath barefoot, it was still comfortable.

Gemma found a red silk dress lying on the bed, obviously laid out for her. She looked around, finding no sign of her own clothes. Obviously they had already been taken for cleaning. Seeing no other option, she pulled the dress on over her head. She would need to wear this at least while she found Julian and asked for something more practical to wear. If she needed to go to and rescue him, then this was hardly the most appropriate attire.

She looked down at the sheer, red dress, beginning to get a smile on her face. Her mind drifted to the thought of what Hicks' face would be like if he could be here with her, to see her in this.

"You do look beautiful." She heard Julian say from behind her, causing her to jump slightly. She turned to face him, finding him carrying a light, silk kimono.

"Julian, this is wonderful but..."

"We have found your friend." He told her. "I've sent out a recovery team to collect him."

"You know where he is?" Gemma asked him. "Then we've got to go, we can help, we..."

He silenced her by placing a finger on her lips. He held up the kimono, indicating that he wanted her to put it on.

"My people will retrieve him." He told her as she reluctantly slid her arms into the sleeves. He slipped it up over her shoulders, stroking her hair back over the collar. "You and your brother are my guests. Just enjoy my hospitality. Once your friend arrives, we will show him the same courtesy."

Gemma pulled the kimono around herself, tying the belt at the waist, before turning to face Julian. He reached to her bedside table, pouring two glasses of deep red wine from a bottle sitting there, before handing one to her.

"Julian, I..."

He started to approach her, and she looked into his eyes. Something in them penetrated her deeply. She found her mind drifting, unable to concentrate as he touched her cheek gently. He drew closer, kissing her softly. Gemma felt herself lost for a moment, before pulling away.

"No, I'm sorry." She whispered. Julian looked puzzled.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked her. "I thought you enjoyed that."

"I did, you've been nothing but kind to us." She told him. "I'm sorry Julian, but something just doesn't feel right."

He reached down to her neck as she saw the length of chain. Gemma couldn't explain why, but she made no move to stop him as he pulled Hicks' dog tags out. He smiled as he read the name.

"Corporal Damien Hicks." He stated. "I understand."

"No, you don't." She replied. "It's just, we have this mission and..."

"You love him don't you?" He interrupted her. "He is still in your heart."

Gemma could only nod as he said this. Although they had ended things, she still loved Hicks. He let go of the dog tags, allowing her to put them back inside her dress.

"Then I will make do with your company for dinner." He replied. "Your friend will be retrieved shortly."

"Thank you." She whispered, before turning and leaving the room. As she left, Julian threw his glass against the wall in anger. He composed himself and waved a hand, at which the shards of glass and the wine all disappeared. He straightened out his shirt, before making his way back to the main hall.


	3. The Secrets of Eden

Gemma went into the main room, finding Gem already there. He was surrounded by people, all of whom appeared to be lazing around the room, some crashed out on comfortable cushioned couches. Others danced in a carefree manner in the middle of a room larger than the entire complex of the Garage. At the top end of the room was a large, golden throne, presumably where Julian sat while he wasn't racing out to rescue crash victims. Other than that, many chairs and tables were scattered around. Various foods and copious amounts of drink were littering the room.

Gem rushed over to her, carrying a handful of strawberries, and chocolate milk.

"Gemma, this place is great!" Gem said excitedly. "Look at all this food and drink and...well those guys are smoking, that's not really my thing, and it's kind of gross, but the music! The dancing..."

"Gem!" She snapped at him, snapping her fingers in front of his face. "Focus, we have to get Ziggy!"

"It's alright, one of Julian's sorcerers just left with a hunting party." He informed her. "I saw them leave about ten minutes ago."

"I put my finest men on the job." Julian assured her, arriving behind her with another glass of wine. She just looked at it, then up at him a little uneasily. Given the encounter they'd just had in the bedroom, she didn't know what to make of the situation. "They've already located where they've taken him. He'll be brought back here. You just rest up after your ordeal."

"Ordeal?" Gemma asked. Julian just smiled at her, flipping his long hair out of his face.

"I'm talking about the crash of course." He reminded her. "Please, make yourselves at home."

Gemma wasn't sure about this. He had come into her room uninvited, and made a pretty intrusive pass at her. Now though, not only was he acting like nothing had happened, he was back to acting like the perfect host. Gem grabbed her sleeve, shaking it a little to attract his sister's attention.

"I watched them leave; it was like a small army!" He told her. "We've got nothing to worry about."

Gemma still wasn't entirely convinced, but Gem seemed to believe in Julian, and in any case, she couldn't exactly run out of the Spire dressed like this. It wasn't an especially cold night, but it was far too cold to go out dressed like that. Gem suddenly reached to his belt, pulling out his morpher.

"Dr. K?" He asked her. "How are you? We're..."

"Gem, I couldn't access the communications screen in your jet." She told him.

"Oh, that's because the jet crashed!" He told her matter-of-factly.

"It what?" Dr. K shrieked, causing everyone to look around at Gem. He smiled and waved apologetically.

"We'll continue this discussion somewhere more private." He told her, before killing the communications link. He looked around for Julian, finding him chatting to a couple of female guests.

"Julian, sorry to ask, but do you have a communication's screen I can use?" Gem asked him. He thought about it for a minute, before waving over a guard.

"Have the communications screen you salvaged from the jet taken to Gem's room." He instructed the guard. As he left, Gem and Gemma looked back to him. "It'll be there in a few minutes in working order."

"Julian, we really appreciate all this hospitality, but we're here to work." Gemma told him. "Can I just get my clothes back and...?"

"Please, just relax." He told her. "In Eden, night time is not a time of work. Why, with the exception of the guards, at night everyone's free to do as they wish. I'm sure you noticed the night life outside."

"It does look like a lively city." Gemma conceded. "But still..."

Just then, Julian held up a hand, and a glowing white orb appeared in his palm. A face grew out of it.

"My men have arrived at the caves we tracked the crash victim to." The face told him. "His life energy is still strong. Shall we proceed?"

"Bring him home." Julian instructed his sorcerer. "Bring Ziggy back to his friends."

As the orb disappeared, he smiled at them.

"Go to your room and make your call Gem." He told him as a woman hung off his shoulders. Gemma felt uneasy as she saw this. It had only been moments since their encounter in her room, and yet it appeared he had no qualms whatsoever about this other encounter. "Your friend should be back within the hour."

As they left to go to Gem's room, Gemma took one look back, noticing Julian and the other woman heading off to a side room. She noticed that some of the other guests were behaving similarly. She didn't want to be rude to her host, or risk causing offence, but she was beginning to get the impression that their ideas of how to act in a society were very different from hers.

Over at the caves, Ziggy was sitting in the corner of his cage when an almighty blast rocked the cave complex. Graeme, the mutant who had been watching him, ran into the room, brandishing his rifle.

"You brought them here, didn't you?" He snarled. Ziggy looked alarmed, but inside he was hopeful. It sounded like Gem and Gemma had come to his rescue at last.

"What are you talking about? I'm right here!" He insisted. "I haven't left. I haven't done anything, you can vouch for that!"

"Don't lie to me normal!" He hissed, bringing the rifle up and taking aim. Just then, another blast sounded, and the mutant girl from before, Graeme's daughter, came flying into the room. Ziggy watched as a man wearing dark green plated armour and a helmet came marching into the room. He brought his blaster to bear on the girl.

"Get away from her!" Graeme screamed, firing a couple of rounds, which rebounded off his armour, causing him to finch, though the hunter didn't appear to be slowed or halted at all by the attack. He turned towards Graeme, blasting him into the wall. He slid down the wall, clutching his ribs. As the hunter turned back to the girl, aiming at her head, Ziggy had seen enough. He morphed and immediately teleported, arriving beside the hunter and snatching his gun upwards, causing him to blast the ceiling instead of his intended target.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ziggy shrieked. This soldier appeared to be here for him, but Graeme and his daughter were clearly no threat anymore. The hunter just shoved him aside.

"Our orders are to rescue the human." He told him. "And wipe out any mutate scum we find!"

Ziggy called out his Turbo Axe, smashing the Hunter wildly before he could fire again. The Hunter flew into a wall, his armour saving him from serious harm. Ziggy rushed forth, bringing his axe overhead, and down in a destructive arc, smashing his blaster into oblivion.

The hunter got up, and rushed from that cave, leaving Ziggy standing dumbfounded. Graeme came over to him, using his rifle to help him walk.

"How did you do that?" He asked.

"It's a long story." Ziggy assured him.

"You could have done that at any time. You could have escaped." Graeme continued. "Why didn't you?"

"I liked the stew." Ziggy replied. "Come on, there's probably more of these guys."

"But...they're normals like you." Graeme commented. "Why would you help us against them?"

"If I don't, some of your people are going to die!" Ziggy stated flatly. "Come on!"

With that, they rushed from the side cave, back towards the site of the battle.

In Gem's room in the Spire, Gem had managed to repair and set up the communications screen, powering it up, before tuning it in to Dr. K's frequency.

"Dr. K, we got somewhere we can talk." Gem told her.

"What the hell happened?" Dr. K asked him. "What's this about the jet crashing?"

"We got shot down." Gem told her.

"Shot down?" Dr. K asked.

"We're fine though." Gem told her. "We got into the city, they call it Eden."

"What's the situation there?" Dr. K asked, stroking her forehead in frustration, knowing she wasn't going to get anything but the cliff notes on how or why their ship was shot down.

"The city itself...well...all I can say is it's awesome!" He told her. "The guy that runs things out here is amazing! He's a sorcerer, and he drove back Venjix. The city's almost untouched. They rebuilt it, and the cultivated a jungle and..."

"So everything's alright there?" Dr. K asked him. "Then why did they send out a distress call?"

"They didn't." Gemma informed her. "There are mutants who live outside the city and attack them, but no one takes them seriously."

"Come to think of it, they don't seem to take anything seriously." Gem commented. "I have to say it's an amazing city, but it's like one huge party. All anyone wants to do is eat and drink and do drugs and have..." He drew a little closer to the screen. "S-E-X"

Gemma suddenly thought about this, and something started to bother her. He had said it as a commentary of how the city was, but he had brought to her mind something she had only realised now. She had seen plenty of people in the city, and they all seemed to be having a good time. There was plenty of food, there was plenty of drink, and everything was clean and tidy, but so far she had yet to see a single person actually working. Who cleaned up? Who prepared the food?

As Gem concluded his report and signed off, he looked up to Gemma hopefully.

"Can I go back to the throne room?" He asked her. "I really want to get some more ice cream before Ziggy gets back."

"Sure thing Gem." Gemma replied. "I just feel like a walk. Tell me when Ziggy gets here."

Back at the cave, Ziggy and Graeme arrived in a large hall to find the Hunter team laying waste to the settlement. Some of the mutates had managed to grab weapons and were fighting back, while others ran around in blind panic. Ziggy called out his Nitro Blaster, and immediately rushed into the battle, sending a Hunter flying just as he was about to take out an unarmed mutant.

"What the hell is going on?" One of them called out. "Aren't we meant to be rescuing him?"

"He's gone native!" Another replied. "We'll have to..."

Just then, the whole cave began to rumble and shake. Some of the mutates stopped fighting and looked up to the roof of the cave, beginning to chant the name "Dragon Lord" repeatedly.

"Who is this Dragon Lord?" Ziggy asked. "Is he a powerful mutant?"

"The Dragon Lord is a mighty sorcerer." Graeme replied with a smile. "His strength stops us from being overrun by the normals."

"Then why's he called...?" His words tailed off as a section of the roof caves in and an enormous Dragon's head burst through the ceiling. It had a huge, red head, and massive mouth with razor sharp fangs like large daggers. Atop its head was a black insignia, which looked like a bird. The underside of its neck was a light blue. With a huge roar, it breathed fire into the cave, driving the hunters back. A large flaming bird came with it, circling the room, before coming to rest in the centre.

The flames dissipated, leaving a man in its place. He was tall, and powerfully built, wearing a red skin-tight suit, over which he had white gloves, white boots, and white shoulder pads. His helmet carried the same insignia as the dragon's head, and in his hand he carried a long staff, topped with a lion-headed motif that looked a little like a telephone dial.

"Leave now!" The warrior roared as the dragon shrunk and came into the room, fusing with him, forming armour around him. His staff disappeared, in lieu of a pair of batons. "If you value your lives you will leave!"

"It's the Dragon Lord!" One of the hunters screamed in terror. "Everyone retreat!"

With that, the Hunter team all turned tail and fled, leaving the cave. Ziggy stayed behind with the mutates. The Dragon Lord approached him, at which Ziggy de-morphed.

"Is this the human you said you captured?" The Dragon Lord asked. Graeme nodded.

"He stayed and fought with us." He told him. "He saved my daughter's life."

"That's about what I'd expect." He replied as he de-morphed, the dragon re-appearing a little way from him, and standing obediently. He was taller than Ziggy, and fairly well built. He had dark skin, and dark brown eyes that examined him intently. He appeared to be well into his thirties. "It's always nice to meet a fellow Ranger. I'm Nick Russell."

"Ziggy Grover." Ziggy introduced himself. "What's going on here?"

"Come with me." Nick told him. "I'll explain everything."

Back at the Spire, Gemma was making her way through the passageways, looking around, but not really sure what she was looking for. Something just didn't seem right about this place.

Making her way through the palace, it seemed like Julian was the perfect, though somewhat trusting host. There wasn't a single locked door in the whole place. She found entertainment rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, libraries, music rooms, but so far nothing that seemed suspicious.

That was when she got to the bottom level of the palace, to where she would need to take the elevator down to the street. There was one door here that she hadn't really noticed when she was coming in. What was unusual about it was that in a palace full of open, unguarded doors, this was the only one that had a guard outside it.

Gemma approached the door, though the guard stopped her just outside it.

"Sorry, no access." He told her. Gemma turned to leave, but by now her curiosity was too great. She turned back sharply, striking him under the chin with the heel of her hand, before wrapping her arms around his neck, shutting off the veins in his neck. The guard struggled for a second, before passing out. Gemma took the keys from his belt, before heading inside. Her stomach turned as she saw what was inside.

She found herself on a balcony, overlooking an enormous holding area, lined with thousands, possibly millions of barred cells stretching as far as she could see across many levels. Heading around the balcony to one of the cells, she found a mutant inside. It hurried away from the bars, cowering in a corner as far from her as it could get.

"I won't hurt you." She said as reassuringly as she could. As the creature came towards her, she noticed that a pair of shiny steel bracelets were fastened around each of its wrists, a matching collar attached around its neck. The creature looked exhausted and frightened. Calluses and open wounds on its hands suggested it had been working hard. Too hard.

"That's why the mutants attack normal humans." She gasped. "That's why no one works. The mutants are slaves!"

"It's all they deserve!" She heard a familiar voice from behind her say. As her hand strayed to her morpher, she saw a bright flash, followed only by darkness.

Ziggy went into a secluded chamber with Nick, being shown to what amounted to a make-shift meeting room. A large, flat stone acted as a table, several smaller rocks serving as chairs. He gestured Ziggy to sit down.

"So you're a Power Ranger?" Ziggy asked him. Nick nodded in response.

"I was in this area during the first attacks." He informed Ziggy. "I used to travel a lot."

"What happened here?" Ziggy asked him. "How did the city end up so...?"

"How did it end up a paradise in the middle of Hell?" Nick asked him. "The citizens of this city were doomed. They had been cut off from escape, and so they resolved to fight to the end."

He paused as he thought about what had happened.

"I fought with them. There's a strong magical epicentre here which enhances all magic, including mine. While we were off fighting, one of the citizens and his friends discovered this epicentre too. They started studying magic and used it to their advantage. The citizens all cheered when they drove back Venjix. None of them knew what the price would be."

"What happened?" Ziggy asked him.

"Their magic was unrefined and ran rampant across the plains. The machines were destroyed, but the magic also affected the people. Those who were outside the city, fighting to protect it were twisted and mutated into what you see now. Only my strong magic stopped it from happening to me." He got up and started pacing the room impatiently.

"The citizens cheered him and made him their leader, trusted him to tell them how to live and rebuild their lives. Under his rule, he promised them luxury and comfort. They worship him like a God." Nick continued. "Their own decadence blinds them to his cruelty. He looked down on and despised the mutants, seeing them as unworthy of living with them. So, he rounded them up, and enslaved them. During the day while the revellers sleep, the few guards on duty during the day lead the slaves out into the city to clean up and prepare the food. Sometimes a few escape. That's when they end up here, fighting against his rule."

"My friends are in the city." Ziggy told him.

"Then just pray they don't end up on the wrong side of him." Scott told him. "Otherwise, we may not be able to help him."

Back in the city, Gemma woke up with a terrible headache after her attack. Looking around, she saw she was surrounded on three sides by solid walls. The only way out was barred by a door set with thick, steel bars.

Looking down, she found herself back in her own clothes. More than that though, she had steel bracelets attached to each of her wrists. Reaching to her neck, she realised she was also wearing a collar, just like the mutant slaves. She searched for her morpher, but found it was gone.

"Just think, if you hadn't been so nosey, if you had just accepted what I offered, you could have had anything you wanted, any time you wanted." Julian said in a casual drawl, stepping into view. Gemma rushed towards the bars, at which Julian pulled out an electronic device and activated it. A sharp electric current surged through her body, causing Gemma to drop to the floor in pain.

"That's it on its lowest setting." He taunted her. He activated it again, causing her to thrash around, screaming in pain. "Now, come to the bars, nice and slowly."

Gemma did as she was told, reluctant to repeat the experience. Julian reached through the bars, taking the dog tags out from under her t-shirt and looked at them, sneering in disgust.

"I tried magic, but that didn't work." He told her. "Your feelings for this man are too strong. I couldn't turn your heart."

With that, he pulled sharply, tearing them from Gemma's neck. She glared at him with a gaze that looked like it could set him ablaze.

"Just know that he can't help you here." He told her. "And that you'll never see him again!"

"Your highness, what should we do about the other outsider?" One of the guards asked him. "He's bound to ask questions when his sister doesn't come back."

"Kill him." Julian responded with as much emotion as he'd request a glass of wine.

"No, you can't..." Gemma's words were silenced by another shock, sending her to the floor. Julian smiled as he walked out of the door, leaving Gemma trapped in her cell. Outsiders would never understand the ways of his city, and there was no way he was going to risk them taking their secret away with them and destroying everything he had created through hard work and innocent blood.


	4. The Dragon Lord

Gem was in the main throne room having the time of his life, completely oblivious to Gemma's plight. While she was locked in the slave pen down below, he was earning himself an ice-cream headache by downing his fifth straight chocolate shake. He politely declined glasses of wine and offers of drugs and other forms of entertainment, but he was only too happy to take part in the dancing.

As he was on the dance floor, showing off some of his moves, he suddenly became aware that the others were beginning to move away. At first he thought they were just clearing room for him to dance, but as Julian arrived with his guards, the mood changed somewhat. Gem noticed them beginning to take strategic positions around the dance floor, while Julian took his place on the throne. As he snapped his fingers, the music stopped, at which Gem stopped dancing.

"I see you're enjoying yourself Gem." Julian said in a casual drawl. "You're enjoying my hospitality I see."

"I am, this place is great." He said, beginning to feel uneasy. It hadn't escaped his notice that the room was now surrounded. Despite his childish ways, Alphabet Soup had taken full advantage of his intelligence, and trained him in many things, including battle strategy. They were moving into perfect position for an ambush. "Ummm....where's Gemma?"

"She's becoming acquainted with my service staff." He told him, shifting in his seat as a woman came to his side, carrying a golden chalice filled with wine. "Like you, she has outstayed her welcome."

"If I've done something wrong..."

"Do you think I'm going to let a couple of outsiders destroy the paradise I've set up for my people?" He asked him. "Sorry, but Eden is my kingdom!"

At that, one of the guards rushed Gem. The Gold Ranger grabbed his morpher from his belt, morphing as he repelled the first attacker.

Over in the caves, Ziggy came into a room, finding Nick in a cave, deep in meditation. Flames were forming around him as he concentrated, forming fine tendrils, which twisted and writhed in the air, forming into patterns and shapes. Before his eyes, the flames shot from above Nick's head, striking the wall, and scorching a cross-section of the city into the wall.

"Most of the mutants here are slaves we've managed to free." Nick explained. "After going into their minds, I've managed to get a pretty accurate picture of the layout of the city."

"So the slaves are kept under the city in these tunnels?" Ziggy asked, pointing to the map. Nick nodded as he came to the map.

"The Prince, Julian, says their appearance offends him." Nick told him. "He keeps them out of sight, only to have the guards bring them out during the day to do all the work. The normals get to lounge around all day, while the mutants get to clean up after them."

"But it's his fault they were mutated in the first place." Ziggy remarked. "Has he even tried to change them back?"

"He claims it's impossible, but I know that it's not." Nick assured him. He pulled a glowing blue crystal out of his cloak, presenting it to Ziggy. "These crystals are what augments the power of magic here. The city's built on a massive stockpile of them. Julian has mutants mine them to increase his power."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Ziggy asked him.

"The crystals will increase the power enough to change back all the mutants." Nick informed him as he put it away. "Julian just doesn't want to risk losing his power. He continues to force them to do his bidding while he lives like a king."

"So what are we going to do?" Ziggy asked him. Nick sighed.

"Dragonheart gives me enough power to stand up to Julian and his men. Since I arrived, the mutant rebels have been safe, but on my own I just don't have the power to turn the war in our favour."

"Well I'm here to help." Ziggy told him. "Once I contact my friends, I'll..."

As soon as he opened the communications link, he heard the sounds of a furious battle in the background. Ziggy looked to Nick.

"You didn't send any mutants into the city did you?" He asked Nick. The Red Mystic Force Ranger shook his head in response. "That's what I was afraid of."

Back in the Spire, Gem was busy taking care of guards, sending them flying with dismissive ease as Julian watched in interest. Once the last of the guards was down, Gem turned towards Julian.

"What have you done with Gemma?" He roared as he activated his Cloud Hatchet, flames flickering around it menacingly.

"I wouldn't worry about your sister if I were you." He stated, getting off his throne and making his way towards him. He flicked his wrist, at which a long, elegantly curved sabre appeared in his hand. He strode into the centre of the room, swinging it a few times to feel its weight, before pulling into a guard. "I'd be more worried about what I'm going to do to you."

Gem powered up his weapon in his rage, casting forward a flame blast. Julian held forth a hand, catching the blast, which absorbed into his body effortlessly.

"Nice power." He sneered. "Now let me show you what I can do!"

Julian ran forward, smashing the Cloud Hatchet aside with amazing strength, before scoring two slashes to his chest, sending sparks flying. He grabbed Gem by the harness, his hand beginning to glow ominously.

"I hope you like flying." He taunted him, before unleashing a powerful blast directly into Gem's chest. The Gold Ranger smashes through the wall, into the open air.

Gem was stunned by the blow, but managed to keep his grip on the Cloud Hatchet. As he tumbled through the air, speeding towards the ground, he activated the flight mode on his weapon, soaring away. He hated to leave, every instinct in him screamed at him to go back for his sister, but he knew that right now, it would be a fruitless mission. Julian had expressed an interest in Gemma. While he was childish, Gem was no idiot. He had picked up on the way he looked at her and acted around her. He had also remembered that Julian had never told him that Gemma was dead. He had only talked about adding her to his staff. For the time being at least, he was sure she was alive. All he needed now was to regroup, and figure out how to get her back.

In the Spire, Julian made his way to the hole in the wall, watching as Gem flew from the city, smirking arrogantly.

"Bring the girl to me." He ordered one of his guards. "Be careful. She's a wild cat. Use the restraints if she gets out of hand."

"Your Highness." The guard replied with a bow, before leaving. Julian waved a hand, at which the metal simply twisted and reformed, closing the hole once more.

Meanwhile, in Corinth, a new day was dawning. Dr. K was awake early, looking through the file once more when Tenaya and Summer came into the room.

"What are you working on?" Summer asked the younger woman. "You said you wanted to see us about something."

Tenaya hefted Alex onto the desk, still strapped into his car seat, sleeping soundly. Dr. K looked to him, and felt something in her heart. She had never really been a huge fan of kids in general, or babies in particular. However, the thought occurred to her that at one stage, she had been just as fragile, just as helpless as Alex. Did her parents even want her then? Was it always their plan to get rid of her?

"Before she went back to New Tech, Charisma gave me some files." Dr. K told them. "She said that SPD regularly backs up its files. All of its bases have a complete copy of files pertaining to every case they investigate."

She paused for a second, trying to compose herself as she prepared to tell them the next part.

"One of the cases they investigated was cases of child abductions relating to Alphabet Soup." She told them, bringing up an image on the screen. "They know who I really am."

"They know your real name?" Summer asked her. "What is it?"

"Sarah Marie Jackson." Dr. K told them. "I'm slowly getting used to Sarah. It's starting to grow on me."

"It'll take a little getting used to, but I like it." Tenaya told her with a grin. "Sarah...I definitely like it. It suits you."

"But why were SPD investigating the government?" Summer asked her. Dr. K looked like she was ready to break into tears as she heard this. It didn't really make a difference if she was held by the government or a private business, all that mattered was that her life had been taken from her. What hurt though was the circumstances.

"Alphabet Soup was not a government installation as I was originally led to believe." Dr. K continued, showing them more of the files. "A private firm, known as the Macha Group owned it. They were a weapon's manufacturer, at one time one of the chief suppliers to the U.S. Military. They started taking children that showed unusual levels of intelligence and making them work developing weapons."

She paused for breath as she prepared to show them the worst part, the part that had changed everything for her.

"Three days before I was taken, the Macha Group deposited 100,000 dollars into my parents' bank account." She informed them. "I was not kidnapped as I was originally led to believe."

"Your parents sold you?" Tenaya asked, her face one of contempt. She pulled Alex a little closer, obviously disgusted at the notion that a parent would do that to their own child. She'd had problems with Alex since his birth, even admitting having thoughts of hurting him, but she could never bring herself to actually do anything to him. She couldn't imagine letting him out of her sight, much less selling him like an unwanted gift at a car boot sale.

"It appears that is the case." Dr. K whispered as her tears began again. Summer reached around, grabbing her and hugging her tightly as the young woman sobbed into her shoulder.

"You shouldn't feel badly about this, you did nothing wrong." Summer murmured reassuringly in her ear as she rocked the young doctor. Tenaya came over, gently stroking her shoulders.

"They never wanted me!" Dr. K sobbed, her heart breaking as she let her friends know the lie that had dominated her entire life. "I used to think I was taken, but they let them take me!"

"Dr. K, you can't dwell on this." Summer told her. She smiled at the younger woman. "Your parents gave birth to you, but that's all. A family is so much more than that."

"You...you think of me as family?" Dr. K asked her. Summer and Tenaya both nodded.

"We couldn't imagine our lives without you in them." Tenaya assured her. "I know you're not the greatest with babies, but even Alex has taken a shine to you."

"I kind of like him too." Dr. K told them. "Even if his screaming does distract me from my work sometimes."

"So what do we call you from now on?" Summer asked her. "Are you still Dr. K?"

"No. I'd prefer to leave that name behind me." She told them. "I like Sarah. I'm not Sarah Jackson. I feel no affinity to my parents, certainly not enough to want to carry their name."

"So, just Sarah?" Tenaya asked her. "Kind of like how I'm just Tenaya?"

"Exactly." She replied. "Just Sarah."

"OK then, if that's what you want, from now on we'll call you Sarah." Summer assured her. With that, they all embraced again. Sarah, formerly Dr. K, still wanted to know more though. It was just in her nature. Despite her disdain for her parents, and the way she had been thrown into her artificial world, denied the opportunity to grow and develop freely as other children had, she wanted to know as much as she could. Despite it being likely that her parents weren't even alive anymore, she wished she could confront them to ask why they had done it.

Back in the wastes outside Eden, Ziggy and Nick came to the mouth of a cave. There was something of a commotion as the mutants started to ramble on and on about a flying man. As they arrived, Ziggy looked up to see the Gold Ranger flying from the city.

He waved his arms wildly, trying to catch his attention. Gem noticed him, and was ready to help. However, as he got closer, he noticed that the mutants surrounding Ziggy didn't appear to be making any moves to attack him. Indeed, he wasn't even morphed, or attempting to defend himself.

Gem landed on his feet near them, powering down, at which his injuries finally overcame him. Nick caught him as he started to collapse.

"What happened?" Ziggy asked him.

"Julian, the Prince. He kicked me out." He told them through a few gasps as he tried to regain his breath. "He pretended to be all nice to us. Then he just told me he's taken Gemma to his service staff and tried to kill me."

"He sent her to the mines." Nick told them.

"We have to get her out!" Gem told them. "We have to..."

"We're not going anywhere just yet." Nick assured him. "You need to rest up. Once you're ready, we can see about storming the city."

"Julian's some kind of wizard." Gem informed them. "He blasted me through a wall like it was nothing."

"Fortunately we have a wizard too." Ziggy told him with a grin. "Not to mention a dragon."

Back in the fortress, Gemma was bought into the throne room by the guards. They all stood a safe distance from her, knowing how dangerous she and her brother could be from the earlier fight. Having no desire to feel the harsh current of her restraints again, she just went without protest. She made her way into the centre of the room.

"That's quite far enough." Julian instructed her, holding up a hand. Gemma stood where she was told, her head held high despite her captivity. She was covered in grime from working in the mines since she was captured. Her body already carried a few grazes from the harsh rock face. Julian came forward, taking her left wrist and turning her hand over, inspecting it. It was already red raw, and showing the first signs of blistering. He just tutted softly.

"Your lovely hands should never be in such a condition." He told her, inspecting her thoughtfully. He waved a hand before her, at which all her injuries and all the dirt simply disappeared. "You know, it pains me to treat one as beautiful as you this way, but you force me to do so. You don't deserve to be in the mines like those filthy mutant..."

"They are living things!" She hissed defiantly, looking straight ahead as he wandered around her. "No one has the right to treat another as a slave."

"Well I beg to differ." He said in a dry tone. He came around behind her, before leaning in, stroking some of her hair aside and kissing her cheek. Gemma flinched away from him. "Is this about that soldier?"

"His name is Hicks!" She snapped aggressively. "And he's twice the man you'll ever be."

"You say that, and yet you're the one out here, working away in my mines, while he's where exactly?" He asked her. "Marching around a parade ground in a nice neat uniform like a good little mindless drone?"

He walked around her, considering her for a moment. She didn't back down to him, not for a second, despite knowing what he was capable of. He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"You know, you don't have to work in the mines." He told her. "I've never had a slave I'd want to touch before, but you...?"

"All things considered?" Gemma interrupted him, before turning and glaring into his eyes. "I'd rather go back to the mines."

"As you wish." He replied, before activating her restraints. Gemma screamed in pain and found herself forced to her knees in pain. Julian just laughed as she got back to her feet.

"You will learn that here in Eden, the only rule is mine." He told her. "Take her back to the mines. It won't be long before she reconsiders."

With that, Gemma turned and left the room, being led back to the mines by the guards. Julian had said nothing about her brother. She knew he was so arrogant that if he had killed Gem, or even if he just believed he had, that would have been the first thing he'd have told her. She was certain he was still alive. As long as that was true, she still had a chance.

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1006


	5. The Dragon Lord Strikes

Back in Corinth, Hicks was in his office, sitting with his back to the door, staring at the picture Gemma had drawn him all those months ago. He heard a gentle knock on the door and turned to see Colonel Truman standing behind him.

"You missed the progress report meeting." Colonel Truman reminded him. "Mike was wondering where you were. I had to fill in."

"You're not filling in; it is your job still." Hicks muttered. "I haven't officially said I'd take the job."

"Well the way you're acting, it doesn't look like you're intending to." Colonel Truman replied. "That would be a great shame."

He came in, taking a seat opposite Hicks as put the picture away in a desk drawer. He grabbed the coffee pot and poured himself a cup.

"I can't give you a lecture about responsibility. I've made many mistakes in my life when it comes to choosing duty over family." He told him. "I can understand why you're upset."

"Are you telling me I shouldn't take the job?" Hicks asked him. Colonel Truman laughed and shook his head.

"No, I still think you could take it." He said, trying to clarify his position. "That doesn't mean you need to miss out on happiness. It is possible to have both."

"I wasn't the one that ended things." Hicks informed him, picking up the report and beginning to read the progress update on the rebuild. Colonel Truman looked a little troubled by what he had said.

"I knew you were having trouble since she left." He commented. "I didn't know you had ended things."

"Gemma thought it would be easier that way." Hicks told him. "She said that because the relationship was so young, the distance would be too much."

"What do you think?" Colonel Truman asked him.

"I think I wish she hadn't left." Hicks replied, flicking through the report, not taking in any information before throwing it onto the desk. "I know she has a point. I don't know when she's going to be back, or for how long. It would be pointless..."

"That isn't what your heart's telling you, is it?" Colonel Truman asked him. Hicks shook his head in response.

"I just wish I could see her." He responded. "I just wish I knew she was alright."

"She'll be fine." Colonel Truman said with a smile. "I'm sure right now; she's sitting in a bedroom somewhere just as miserable as you."

He reached onto the desk pushing the report back towards Hicks.

"Next time she contacts you, tell her how you feel." He told him. "Maybe then you can actually concentrate on the job in hand."

Hicks picked up the report and read it a little more closely.

"They're starting on the seventh street apartment block?" Hicks asked him. "They shouldn't be that far into the refurbishment surely."

"If you went outside once in a while instead of sulking in your office all day, maybe you'd see that the construction crew Mike brought are really making progress." Colonel Truman told him. "At this rate, the rebuild will be finished by the end of the month."

"They've finished the West side, AND Central hospitals?" Hicks commented. "Jeez, no wonder Mike insisted on using Hilax's crew."

"That's one less thing for you to worry about." Colonel Truman told him. "Maybe now you can concentrate on that girl of yours."

"You aren't going to let this drop are you?" Hicks asked him. Colonel Truman shook his head. "Then I guess I'll talk to her when she gets back."

Meanwhile, over in Eden, Gemma was working hard in the mines, hacking away at the rock face with a pick axe. Despite her captivity, she was still getting a lot of dark looks from the mutants in the mines. Despite being a slave, she wasn't like them. She was a normal. The others gave her a wide berth, suspicious as to exactly why a normal would be down in the mines with them.

Just then, she heard a loud crash, and looked around to see a mutant standing over a trolley that had fallen over, spilling its load of crystals on the floor. The mutant looked around, fearful of punishment, before struggling to try and right the cart. Gemma threw down her pick, before running over to help.

"This is my task normal." The mutant warned her. "The slavers..."

"This thing has to weigh hundreds of pounds. You can't possibly right it by yourself." She interrupted the mutant. She braced herself, beginning to work on trying to right the cart. The mutant looked at her suspiciously.

"Why are you helping me?" She asked the Silver Ranger. Looked to her, but just before she could answer, a high voltage current shot through them, causing them both to fall to the ground, screaming in agony. Gemma looked up to see a slaver standing before them, holding a restraint control.

"Get back to work!" He barked at them, kicking Gemma roughly. Gemma got to her feet and approached him, stopping as he held up the control for her to see.

"That's what we're trying to do!" She snapped. "The cart overturned. We're trying to set it up right!"

"You, get this load to the elevator!" The guard demanded, pointing to the mutant. He turned back to Gemma. "You, get back to digging!"

"There's no way she can right this cart by herself!" Gemma told the guard. "She's exhausted, can't you see that?"

"If she isn't up to the work..." His words tailed off as Gemma went back to the cart, helping the mutant to right it. She handed her the pick, before starting to gather the crystals that had spilled. "That isn't your job!"

"I switched!" Gemma spat in her anger. "What difference does it make to you? As long as the work gets done, what difference does it make?"

The slaver glared at her, before staring at the mutant, his nose crinkling in disgust, as though he was considering something he had scraped from his shoe.

"You, dig!" He demanded, pointing to the mutant. He turned back to Gemma. "I give out the tasks, not you. You get no rations tonight!"

As the guard walked away, continuing on his rounds, Gemma pushed the cart to the elevator. She didn't notice the mutants watching her go.

Out in the wastes, Gem, Ziggy and Nick were all sitting in the room Nick had formed the map in, considering their options. They knew that like it or not, they would have to storm the city.

"Julian has a coven of seven other sorcerers." Nick informed them. "Individually, I'd probably defeat them, but together, they're more powerful than me."

"Not to mention he has an army at his command." Ziggy responded. "Not just his guards. Something tells me we can't rely on the citizens for support. They have things too good in there; they're not going to pass that up lightly."

"The rebels in these caves are willing to fight, but they'll still be outnumbered." Nick told them.

"What if we free the slaves?" Gem asked him. "What if we turn them loose?"

"That might tip the balance." Nick replied. He turned to the map, inspecting it. "Going through the wall would take far more firepower than we have, and if we create a small breach like we have done in the past, it'll just create a bottle neck. It would be a turkey shoot."

"Then we don't go through the wall." Ziggy replied. He turned his attention to the map, noticing that the mines extended for some distance beyond the wall underground. "If we can blast our way through the ground here, we can enter through the mines."

"That has to be miles of rock." Gem told him. "There's no way we could dig through that quickly enough. It'd take months."

"It would take us months." Ziggy said with a smile, before flicking a thumb in the direction of the cave where Fire Heart was sleeping. "Or it would take him a couple of seconds."

"I'll have Fire Heart blast you an entrance." Nick told them. "After that, I'll take him and go after the Spire. That should distract the guards long enough for you to get in."

"Nothing turns heads like flying a huge dragon around over their heads." Gem commented.

"You and Ziggy go through the mines. Release the slaves, and bring them above ground." Nick told them. "I'll keep everyone's attention above ground."

Back in the city, as night was falling, Gemma was shoved into a cell, before the door was locked behind her. Every muscle in her body ached from the exertion of her labour. She sat in the corner, pulling a blanket around herself as she rested her head against the wall. A guard came around, handing out bowls of gruel, deliberately skipping her cell as a result of her punishment for her earlier insubordination. As the guards left, Gemma tried not to think about how hungry she was. She could hear the clatter of spoons on pottery as the mutants ate, wolfing down their unappetising meal.

"Normal!" He heard one whisper harshly. She turned her face to look out the bars, seeing the mutant she had helped earlier. "Why did you do that earlier?"

"You looked like you needed help." She replied honestly. The mutant looked at her curiously.

"But...I'm a mutant." She stated bluntly. "You're not like me."

"I feel just as sore right now." Gemma commented. The mutant shook her head.

"I will never understand you normal." She replied. Gemma just laughed weakly.

"If you met me outside of here, you'd know that no one considers me normal." Gemma assured her. The mutant looked down to her bowl, which had a couple of spoonfuls of gruel left in it. He pushed it through the bars, and across to the cell next to her.

One by one, the mutants in the nearest cells all put a couple of spoonfuls of gruel into the bowl, before passing it back to her. The mutant then pushed the bowl, sending it skidding across the floor, all the way over to Gemma's cell. Gemma picked up the bowl and spoon, smiling. The mutants had so little, and yet as a result of her one act of kindness, they were willing to share what little they had with Gemma.

"Thank you." Gemma whispered, before beginning to eat. The mutant smiled as she wolfed down the unappetising, watery meal. It wasn't much, but it was better than going hungry. As soon as she finished, Gemma heard one of the guards coming. She slid the bowl back to prevent her fellow slave being punished for violating the guard's punishment.

The guard came around with a trolley, gathering in their bowls. The mutant handed him her bowl, before he turned to Gemma.

"You know that you're doing this to yourself right?" He asked her. "I you just submit to Prince Julian's rule, you'd be up in the banquet hall right now."

"Sorry, but poor dinner company gives me indigestion." She told him. "I'd rather starve."

"Suit yourself." He replied, before leaving. The mutant looked to Gemma curiously.

"You have a chance to get out of here?" She asked. "Why don't you leave?"

"I'm not willing to do what His Lordship wants from me." Gemma told her in a deep sigh, a tear beginning to roll down her face as her thoughts strayed to Hicks. "His price is too high."

"You merely..."

"I can't do it." Gemma told her. "I can't do it. If I ever do, it will not be to get out of some dungeon."

The mutant shook her head in confusion, smiling a little.

"I'll never understand you normal." She replied, before pulling a blanket over herself. The lights were turned out throughout the cell block, plunging them all into darkness. Gemma lay down, turning onto her side, and thinking about the man she loved, she cried herself to sleep.

As night fell, Julian was in his throne room, entertaining more of his admirers. Wine flowed freely, and dancers performed as the music filled the room. Julian sat with a golden chalice in one hand, casually taking a drag from an opium pipe.

"Your Highness. What news is there of the outsiders?" A guard asked him. Julian flipped his long hair, laughing a little.

"There is no news." He replied. "They know what fate awaits them should they return."

"But sire, they know of this city's secret." He replied. "If they tell others..."

"They have no means of transport." Julian reminded him, taking another long breath, smoke rolling slowly from his lips as he spoke. "If they return, I will kill them. If they leave, the desert will claim them."

Just then the ground shook and a few of the revellers shrieked in panic. Julian looked around to one of his sorcerers.

"What happened?" He roared. "What was that?"

The sorcerer held out his hands, at which a glowing orb appeared before him. The image showed Nick, riding Fire Heart high over the city. The dragon drew back its head, before casting forth another fireball, headed straight for The Spire. The whole building shook as the roof was blasted from the throne room. Guests scattered in a panic, fleeing the room.

"Get the coven!" Julian demanded, dispatching one of his guards as a smile crept onto his lips. "It looks like the Dragon Lord finally decided to test the limits of our power."

Down in the cell block, Gemma was ripped from her sleep as the lights suddenly came on. Guards ran down the hall carrying weapons.

She could hear a fire fight in the hall, rushing to the bars of her cell.

An explosion rocked the hall, at which several guards retreated, abandoning their weapons in their flight. Gem ran up to her cell as Ziggy and the rebels continued to lay down suppressing fire.

"Where's the door control?" He asked her. Gemma pointed to a control room high above the holding area. Gem activated the flight mode on his Cloud Hatchet, crashing through the window of the control room. Not long afterwards, all the doors swung open.

The mutant slaves rushed from their cells, overwhelming the guards through weight of numbers. They pummelled their captors with fists, rocks and anything else they could lay their hands on. The last of the guards tried to flee, but Ziggy teleported, cutting off their escape route.

"The safest place is those cells." Ziggy told them, pointing to the cells. "Of course I could always let my friends here decide what to do with you."

The guards looked among themselves, and then to the mutants surrounding them, sizing up their situation, before dutifully marching into the cells.

Up in the tower, the other six sorcerers arrived, finding Julian standing alone, staring up at Nick and Fire Heart soared overhead. Fire Heart let out another blast, destroying what was left of the roof. Circling once more, he came in, landing on the edge.

"It's over Julian!" He roared. Looking down to the streets, he saw mutants rushing out onto the streets. "Your guards are being overrun as we speak!"

Just then, Gem, Gemma and Ziggy all appeared on the roof. Julian saw them and smirked.

"Do you really think you're any match for the coven?" He asked them. "We took this city once. We'll do it again!"

Gemma rushed to the throne as Ziggy and Gem ran into battle. Three members of the coven all fired blasts of energy at Nick, which he deflected with ease. Fire Heart sent out a blast from his mouth, sending debris flying and scattering the three sorcerers. He called Fire Heart into himself, forming into the Dragon Warrior once more.

"It looks like Gemma's found her morpher." He informed Julian as the Silver Ranger froze two more of the sorcerers to the spot with her Cloud Hatchet, just as Gem took them down with a heat blast. "Your sorcerers have been defeated. No more hiding behind your underlings."

"Who's hiding?" Julian asked him. "The coven are weaklings compared to me."

He launched a fireball at Nick, sending him flying into the wall hard. He sneered at him as he saw the Red Mystic Ranger scrambling to his feet.

"Your power is no match for mine!" He snarled. Gem rushed towards him, but Julian was too quick, blasting him with enough force to send him into the wall. He de-morphed from the force of the impact, at which chains burst from the stone, wrapping around his wrists and ankles, holding him in place.

"Let him go!" Ziggy yelled, swinging his Turbo Axe in a scything arc. Julian turned his hand to metal and caught the blade effortlessly, before kicking Ziggy in the chest. As soon as he landed, a cage formed around him, trapping him inside.

"Give it up Dragon Lord!" Julian taunted him as Nick rushed to the attack. He parried every one of Nick's attacks, before turning and throwing him from the tower. Nick took flight, saving him from the fall.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you!" He told Gemma, activating her restraints. Despite being morphed, the restraints sent electricity coursing through her. Gemma de-morphed, falling to her knees, screaming in agony. "You didn't really think you could defeat me could you? I know your power, and it's no match for mine."

He held out his hand, at which Hicks' dog tags flew into his hand from the throne.

"You honestly chose this man over me?" He asked her. "You can see how absolute my power is. How could any man compare to a God?"

"Why don't you find out?" Gemma asked him. "He's more of a man than you will ever be!"

"Then why isn't he here?" He asked her, waving a hand. Gemma shot to her feet, frozen to the spot. She couldn't move, being held in place by an unseen hand. He drew her towards him with a gesture. "I'd never let you out of my grasp!"

"That's why I'd never be yours!" Gemma told him defiantly. "Hicks let me go, and I'll return to him of my own volition. The only way you can make me stay is to force me."

He activated her restraints again, causing her intense pain. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned in time to see Nick standing behind him in his Legend Warrior mode.

"Forget about me?" He asked him, punching Julian hard in the face. He staggered, but recovered quickly.

"You cannot beat me Dragon Lord!" He yelled.

"I don't need to." Nick told him. "You see, there's one thing you need to know about Fire Heart."

"What's that?" Julian asked him. Nick pointed over to where Fire Heart was standing, bellowing a blood-chilling roar.

"He has a big appetite!" Nick told him. Dragon Heart lunged, forcing Julian to turn both hands to metal, grabbing his jaws and holding them open, preventing himself being bitten in half.

Gemma recovered enough to run up to Julian, kicking him as hard as she could between the legs. His strength quickly left him, and he fell to his knees. Fire Heart pulled back as Nick approached. Extending a hand, he began draining Julian's energy.

"My magic!" Julian screamed. He was in no condition to fight, and could do nothing to stop Nick as he continued to drain him.

"You will never have the power of magic again!" Nick declared, before launching his power downward through the tower into the mines. The crystals all glowed brightly, before an awesome, blinding light shot through the city. Every mutant looked on in awe as they started to re shape and form once more into their old human forms. "Your evil has been undone!"

Julian grabbed his sword, before rushing towards Nick. The Red Mystic Ranger simply stepped aside, as Julian's momentum carried him over the edge. They could all only watch as he fell to his doom.

"Come on guys." Ziggy told them. "There's nothing more we can do here."

The following day, Gemma was standing on the edge of a lake, looking out over it. The city was being rebuilt, and for now everything was peaceful. Nick came over to her.

"I see you've lost the jewellery." He commented. Gemma just laughed.

"I'm glad to be free of those things." She told him. "How are things in the city?"

"I'm maintaining order so far." Nick told her. "Ziggy contacted Mike. He's sending a team of SPD officers to take over law enforcement here."

"I heard you made the rebuilding of the city part of the sentence for the people who enslaved the mutants." Gemma stated. "I guess you're worried about a backlash against them."

"We have to encourage justice, not vengeance." Nick told her. "Once SPD's here, keeping the peace will be their problem."

He opened his hand, showing her Hicks' dog tags. She looked up at him.

"I found these in the wreckage of The Spire." He told her. "Gem told me about Hicks."

"Thanks." She replied, taking them from him, putting them around her neck once more. Nick sat on a short wall a little way from her.

"I was in a similar situation once." He told her. "Her name was Maddie. She was part of the Mystic Force team."

"What happened?" Gemma asked him.

"I left town on family business. I promised her I'd go back." He told her. "But things got kind of busy. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, six months had passed and I hadn't called or written. The longer I left it, the harder it became, so I just did nothing. I convinced myself it would be easier...that it would hurt less if I just didn't say anything and let her move on."

"Did it?" Gemma asked him. Nick shook his head.

"I ran into her in Ocean Bluff three years later." He continued with his story. "It turns out just leaving hurt her more than I realised."

He drew a little closer to her, taking her hand.

"It isn't worth it. If Hicks makes you happy, then give it a shot." He advised her. "I blew it with Maddie. All my friends stayed in touch, but it was never the same. They could be civil to me, but we were never able to get close again. I can't blame them, I hurt her too much. If I could do it all again, I would."

He thought about her for a minute, smiling.

"The last time I heard from her, she and Xander were expecting twins." He told her.

"But we can't guarantee when we'll see each other." Gemma told him. "What if it doesn't work out?"

"Then it doesn't work out." Nick told her. "At least you'll have given it an honest shot."

Gem came at that point, noticing Nick talking to her.

"Sorry to interrupt, but the jet's fuelled and ready." He informed them. "It's time to head back."

Gemma held onto Hicks' dog tags and smiled. She leant in, kissing Nick on the cheek.

"Thank you." She told him. He smiled, confident that she would give things with Hicks a chance. He had convinced her not to make the same mistake he had.

"You're welcome." He replied as she turned and left. Nick stood, watching them head to the jet, preparing for their voyage home. Once SPD came to take the city, he could relax, but until then, Eden was under the care of the Dragon Lord.


	6. The Second City

In an APC, rumbling across the wastes, Dillon was taking one of the rare opportunities when they had a strong signal to send a communication back to Corinth. He couldn't help smiling as he saw Summer on the screen. She hadn't been pregnant for long. She'd only found out herself a couple of days before she told him. He had always found her beautiful, but knowing that she was carrying his child was a totally different experience.

"So we're expecting to arrive later tonight." Dillon concluded his report to her. "We'd have been there sooner, but Scott's driving, and you know he drives slower than me."

"I heard that!" Scott called through from the driver's seat. Summer just laughed.

"Gem contacted us a little while ago." Summer told him. "We're expecting them back in a couple of hours."

"I'm sure Ziggy's looking forward to seeing Alex again." Dillon commented. "How is the little tyke?"

"He's making his presence felt as usual." She told him. "I really miss you."

"I miss you too." He assured her. "How are you feeling?"

"I had my first bout of morning sickness." She told him. "I am not looking forward to another seven and a half months of this."

"You'll be fine." He chuckled, regretting a little the fact he wasn't there to suffer with her. "I'll be back before you know it."

"I really hope so." She told him. "Tenaya's happy to hold my hair, but..."

"OK, that's a mental image I could live without." He told her. "I'll contact you again when I can."

"I love you." She told him, touching the screen. Dillon smiles and did the same, imagining feeling her hand touching his through the screen.

"I love you too." He replied. With that, he killed the link. Flynn tapped him on the shoulder, before handing him a mug of coffee.

"It's hard isn't it?" Flynn asked him. Dillon just nodded in response as he took a sip.

"I really just want to be with her." Dillon told him. "I can't believe I'm going to be a dad."

"It's not an easy thought to get your head around." Flynn agreed as he sat with him. "I have no idea what to expect when I see her again."

"Guys, the city's up ahead!" Scott told them. "Come check it out!"

Back in Corinth, Mike, Vasquez, Dr. K, Tenaya, Alex and Hicks were standing in the main hangar of the Garage. They watched as the Jet roared into view.

Hicks felt his mouth becoming dry as the jet came to a halt and started to descend slowly towards the landing pad. Despite the way things had ended between himself and Gemma, he was pleased to hear that she was coming home. Vasquez saw the way he was wringing his hands nervously and smiled.

"She's fine." She assured him. "You don't need to worry."

As the jet touched down, and the hatch on the back opened, Hicks found his breath taken away as he saw her. Despite what she had been through, she was easily as beautiful as she had been to him when she left. Before anyone could say or do anything, Gemma sprinted from the jet, launching herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him passionately. Gem and Ziggy got off the jet, laughing at the display. As Ziggy went to his fiancée, taking Alex from her, kissing him gently, Gem watched the display with a bright smile.

"Hicks, we need to talk." Gemma told him as they finally parted. Hicks couldn't contain his joy, grinning from ear to ear. He had intended to tell her how he felt, to plead with her to reconsider and come back to him. It wasn't needed though. He had no idea what, if anything could have made her change her mind, but in truth, he didn't care. "Can we go somewhere a little quieter?"

"Step into my office." He told her, gesturing to the office. Gemma went with him, taking his hand gently. Summer, Tenaya and Vasquez all looked at each other, wry grins crossing their faces.

"It's about time!" They chorused together. Summer checked her watch.

"3 minutes, 22 seconds!" She announced. "Who had five minutes?"

Vasquez held up her hand, at which Summer and Tenaya both handed her a 20. Dr. K just shook her head.

"This is why I don't gamble." She muttered. Gem held a hand to his stomach and smiled.

"Well if you guys don't mind, I think I need to go to the kitchen." He commented. "I seriously need some ice-cream."

In Hicks' office, he closed the door behind him for some privacy. Gemma sat on his desk, looking up at him as he flicked on the lock.

"Hicks, I was wrong to give up on us so easily." She began nervously. "I'm sorry."

"I was going to beg you to reconsider." He admitted as he turned back to her. Despite the injuries of the last few days telling on her, betraying the ordeal of the previous few days, she radiated an angelic beauty to him. "I haven't been able to concentrate. Since you walked out, all I could think about was what could be happening to you."

"A lot of stuff happened out there, stuff that made me really think about what you mean to me." She told him. "There were times I didn't know if I'd come back. When I thought I might not make it, the only thing that got me through it was thinking about you."

She took out his dog tags, holding them in her hand and smiled.

"I promised I'd bring these back." She reminded him. Hicks just put his hand on hers, pushing them back.

"You keep them." He told her, pulling out another set. "I had to have new ones made anyway."

"Thank you." She replied, putting them back on, tucking them inside her t-shirt. "Listen, I know it isn't going to be easy. With you here and me rushing off all over the place, we're going to find it hard to spend time together."

"Then we'll just have to make the times we do have together count." He told her, putting his hand around the back o her neck softly and drawing her towards him, kissing her warmly. It did hurt to watch her leave, and it would hurt when he watched her leave again, but nothing would hurt more than letting her walk out of his life permanently. This was exactly what he wanted.

Meanwhile, out in the desert, the APC skidded to a halt as they arrived on the outskirts of the city. Scott got out, gazing over the city thoughtfully.

"Well it looks like Venjix really went to town here." He commented. "It doesn't look anything like I remember."

"Well we're in the right place." Dillon told him, making his way over to a sign. He swept away some soot with his hand, exposing the legend 'welcome to fabulous Las Vegas'. "This is Vegas alright."

"I did a scan; there were some Venjix signals out here." Flynn informed them. "There are also human life signatures."

"Then we're not too late to help them." Scott responded. "We just need to find them."

Back in Corinth, Mike knocked on the door to Hicks' office gently. It was locked, but since Gemma and Hicks had gone in there for some privacy, he wasn't really too surprised. Eventually, he heard the door being unlocked. Gemma appeared in the doorway.

"Mike, what can I help you with?" Hicks asked him. Gemma scurried away, leaving them to their business.

"I take it things are going well." Mike commented. "You seem happier."

"I am." Hicks replied, looking down the hall to where Gemma was just heading into the main room. "Anyway, I'm sure you didn't come here to discuss my relationship."

"We got a lock on Turtle Cove." He informed Hicks. "The Venjix attacks caused a lot of environmental damage. It's re-awakened some Orgs."

"I suppose we should probably have anticipated something like that." Hicks remarked. "I take it you want to send the Rangers out there."

"Apparently there's already a team out there." He informed him. "But I think it would be best if we sent a couple of Rangers out there to check things out, see if they need a hand."

Back in Vegas, the APC rolled slowly through the streets. As they pushed on, Flynn looked around at the ruined, crumbling remains of the city that had been, at one time, the world's capital of excess.

"I can't believe I missed the chance to come here before the attacks." He commented. "Dad told me he and mum got married out here. They went to Camelot and caught a Wayne Newton concert for their honeymoon."

"Well Camelot's just over there." Dillon told him, pointing towards its distinctive battlements. Flynn smiled.

"Dad always said he loved being out here." He told them. "They decided to get married about three minutes before the ceremony. They went into one of those 24 hour chapels."

"I'm sure their parents were thrilled about that." Scott commented. Flynn just chuckled.

"Actually they were alright with it. They kind of had another reason for wanting to get married." He told them.

"Why?" Dillon asked. Flynn just held his arms open.

"You're looking at him."

"Well I guess that must have pretty much made the decision for them." Scott replied with a small laugh. Just then, he hit the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a halt.

Outside, a few humans ran through the streets, being pursued by Grinders. They watched as they dived behind a short wall for cover.

"They need our help!" Dillon called out, rushing out of the APC, morphing as he went. Scott and Flynn followed.

Dillon activated his invincibility shield as the Grinders saw him rushing towards them, opening fire. He ran through the blasts, closing the gap as he brought out his Rachet Blaster.

As he arrived closely enough, he laid down some suppressing fire, before ducking aside, allowing Scott through. Activating his burst attack, he smashed the foot soldiers to smithereens.

"Are you alright?" Flynn asked the frightened humans as he helped them out of their hiding place.

"Who are you?" They asked. "I didn't know there were more Rangers in the city."

"More Rangers?" Scott asked.

"I guess now we know how they managed to survive Venjix's forces for so long." Dillon replied with a shrug. "These other Rangers must have been looking out for them."

"We should get out of here before Venjix sends anything else." Scott replied. "Why were you even out here?"

"We needed to get some supplies." One of the survivors told him.

"Where do you live?" Flynn asked him. "We'll take you there."

"It's a shelter out at area 51." He replied. "There's a bunker there underground. They keep us safe."

"Just point the way." Scott told them, gesturing them into the vehicle. "We've spent too long here already."

Back in Corinth, Sarah looked round as the communication screen burst into life. Scott appeared on the screen.

"Scott, did you get to Vegas?" She asked him. He nodded.

"We just passed the strip a few minutes ago." He informed her. "We picked up a couple of survivors. They're taking us to a shelter out at area 51."

"That must be where the signal came from." She commented.

"Apparently there are more Rangers out here." Scott continued with his report. "The survivors told us they've been keeping them safe out there since the attacks."

"I suppose that explains how they survived." Sarah replied. "I've got a fix on your location. At your current speed, you should arrive at Area 51 within 20 minutes or so."

"20 minutes or so?" He asked her with a little smile. "Usually you're a little more exact than that."

"I'm trying to calm down on the whole child prodigy thing." She told him. "I'm trying to be more normal now that I know who I am."

"Don't." He told her. "That's not who I fell in love with."

"You actually liked it when I corrected you and told you...?"

"I love it when you correct me." He interrupted her with a chuckle. "I love it when you tell us stuff we don't need to know just for the sake of accuracy. I love it when you tell us stuff we don't want to hear. It's all just part of who you are."

Dr. K found herself blushing a little as he said this. She loved him so much, that she was really trying to distance herself from the product of Alphabet Soup.

"So, how long is it until we arrive?" He asked her. She looked at the figures once again.

"18 minutes, 53.6 seconds." She told him. "Approximately."

"That's more like it." He replied with a smile. "I'll contact you again once we arrive and find out more about the situation out here."

"I look forward to it." She assured him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He replied, before killing the link. Flynn looked over to him from the driver's seat and smiled.

"It's a pain I know, but you'll be back before you know it." He said to the Red Ranger in a comforting gesture.

"I know." He replied. "I just miss her, that's all. I mean, it took us almost a week just to get here. Even if it only takes us a couple of days to clear out Venjix's generals, it'll still be another week before we get back."

Just think how great it'll be when you do see her again." Flynn told him. "Sam's already starting to show. By the time I get back, she'll probably be huge."

"You're looking forward to that aren't you?" Scott asked him. Flynn smiled.

"What do you think?" He asked him.

Not long later, the APC rumbled up towards the high fences surrounding the old air base. The sign designating it as Area 51 was slightly charred, but humorously, it had been vandalised with spray paint, showing a little green man with a speech bubble coming from his mouth, welcoming them to earth. Despite the desolate nature of the world, it was just a demonstration of the human spirit. Even at the end of the world, some people still had a sense of humour.

The vehicle stopped outside the gate, at which a few men approached to inspect it. Scott got out, holding his hands up where they could be seen.

"My name's Scott Truman, we mean you no harm." He introduced himself as one of them approached him. "Take us to your leader."

Flynn and Dillon both face palmed as he said this. Scott could only groan and screw his eyes shut as soon as he heard what he had said.

"Take us to your leader?" Dillon teased him. "I know we're in Area 51, but seriously!"

"Look on the bright side." Flynn chipped in. "At least he didn't say 'we come in peace'."

"Would you two give it a rest?" Scott snapped in response.

"My name's Adam Park." One of the men responded, getting a laugh at Scott's expense from the embarrassing slip of the tongue. "I'm the Black Ranger here."

"Always a pleasure to meet a fellow Black Ranger." Dillon replied, shaking his hand. "I'm Dillon, black RPM Ranger."

"I'm Flynn." The Blue Ranger introduced himself.

"Well I never thought I'd see another Scottish Ranger in this city." Adam responded. Flynn laughed as he remembered meeting Colin. He had mentioned that his first Ranger team had been centred in Las Vegas.

"I'm Scott Truman, the Red Ranger." He told Adam. "So are you in charge?"

"No, but I'll take you to the guy who is." Adam replied. Scott gave both Flynn and Dillon a glare as they started laughing again, being reminded o his earlier slip.

Adam took them inside the main building while one of his men took the APC to a hangar. Taking an elevator down several miles underground, they stepped out, finding a large, bustling city.

"When we came here, we found this place." Adam told them as they walked down what amounted to a street, flanked by all manner of shops, bars and apartment buildings. "The Government was rumoured to have built underground cities back in the 1960's to house survivors should nuclear war ever be declared. It seems that this was just one of them."

He finally came to a large, central building, activating a retinal scan to open the doors. The Rangers followed him in, finding a woman sitting by a computer console. She was short, probably about 5' 1", with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair. She had a pair of reading glasses perched on her nose. She was wearing denims, and a tight black sweater. On her left wrist, she had a silver cuff bracelet carrying a yellow crystal.

"Kira, we finally got a response to those distress signals." Adam told her. Kira got up from her chair and made her way over, taking off her glasses. "This is Scott, Flynn and Dillon."

"Kira Oliver." She introduced herself. "I'm guessing you're the ones who destroyed Venjix."

"We are." Dillon told her. "We're here to help you get rid of the last of his troops from the city."

Just then, a man came into the room. He had short, spiky hair, a hairstyle much too young for him. He appeared to be fast approaching his fifties, and his hair was slowly losing the battle to grey. He wore glasses and black jeans, with a red t-shirt.

"This is Tommy, the brains of the operation." Adam introduced him. "Tommy, these are the guys who destroyed Venjix."


	7. Vegas

Tommy assembled all the Rangers in a room, deep beneath the command centre of the underground city. Kira and Adam sealed the room behind them as they went, before firing up a large screen on the wall behind him.

"As you no doubt have already noticed, the city is pretty much a no-go area." Tommy began the briefing, pulling up a map of the city. It had areas around the outside that were blue, but other than that, the entire map was red.

"When the Venjix attacks began, Grinders quickly took hold of the city. The streets were cleared of all humans. Those that survived fled into the Nevada Desert. They were fortunate."

"My husband and I like to be prepared." Kira interjected. "We were the mentors for the current SPD team while they were in high school. They kept in contact with us. Just before communications went down, they managed to contact us and tell us about this place."

"Venjix didn't think he would encounter significant resistance here." Adam told them. "He sent only three generals to direct traffic here. Without Zords, we did what we can."

"As you can see we managed to get most of the people out, but we've been in a stalemate with them since then." Tommy informed them, taking off his glasses. "They don't have the power to take the compound, but we don't have the power to tip the war over the edge."

"Well now you do." Scott assured them. "My friends and I are not going anywhere until the city is back under your control."

Tommy smiled a little, before clicking his controller, scrolling to a new screen.

"This is the leading General, Semtex!" He informed them. It was a gold-plated monstrosity, with large, spiked shoulder pads, and large blades sprouting from each elbow. "He..."

"Hold that thought a second Tommy." Kira instructed her husband, beginning to look around. She wandered around for a second, before reaching into a corner, grabbing thin air.

"Ow, mom!" A small female voice protested in a shriek. Before their eyes, a young girl, possibly about 13 years old started to shift into view. As Kira dragged her into view, they could see she was a couple of inches shorter than her mother, and had straight, shoulder-length hair. She was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. "Mom, let go!"

"How many times do I have to tell you the war room is off limits Emma?" Kira asked her, releasing her. Emma stroked the back of her neck as she was released.

"I heard other Rangers had arrived in the city." She commented. "I thought it might be Uncle Conner or Uncle Ethan..."

"Neither of them have morphers anymore do they?" Kira reminded her. "Now, since you can see it isn't one of them..."

"You never let us hear any of the good stuff!" Emma complained, stamping her foot defiantly. "We can help! You know..."

"I know you and your brother are only 13!" Kira interrupted her sharply. "I also know you're more than capable enough of getting yourselves into trouble without fighting in a war!"

"But you and dad have been training us for years!" Emma moaned. "We have powers..."

"You're too young, now that's the end of it!" Kira put down flatly, opening the door. She threw up her hands as she saw a boy, a few inches taller than her, with messy blonde hair standing outside. "Why am I not surprised your brother isn't far behind?"

"But mom, there are Rangers here!" He stated as though that were explanation enough. "Can't we just...?"

"Goodbye!" She said abruptly, showing her daughter out before sealing the doors again. She just threw her arms up as she came back to the table.

"I'm sorry about that." She told them. "My children are a little more adventurous than I'd like."

"Anyway, maybe we should get back to the briefing." Tommy suggested, shaking his head.

Over in Corinth, Gem was working on the jet in preparation for the mission he and Gemma were going on to Turtle cove, when he was distracted by his sister coming in. She knelt down next to him, handing him a wrench.

"We're going out again soon." She sighed as she thought about what she wanted to say. Gem just carried on working. "I guess you figured out something went down between me and Hicks."

"I figured something had happened." Gem told her honestly. "You were miserable all the way to Eden."

"I just wanted to make things straight with you, make sure you knew the facts and didn't jump to any conclusions." She explained. "Before we left, I broke up with him."

"Why?" Gem asked his sister. He was a little hesitant at first about her getting involved with Hicks, but he never wanted anything to hurt her. "I thought you liked him."

"I really do, I love him." She replied. "The thing is, we haven't been together for long. I knew that being away so much would put a strain on things, but it isn't like we've been together for a while like Scott and Dr. K. I didn't think we had that kind of relationship yet and I thought it would make it easier to end it than risk growing apart."

Gem nodded, continuing his work, but he was still listening to her.

"What made you change your mind?" Gem asked her curiously.

"Nick told me some stuff about his past." Gemma informed him, recalling his advice. "He told me that because he never gave things a chance with her, they ended up really distant. He told me that they were never able to be the same with each other."

"Gemma, I can't pretend to understand what you're thinking, or feeling when it comes to Hicks." He told her honestly. "The only thing that matters to me is that you're happy."

"That's exactly why I'm explaining what happened." Gemma told him. "Gem, I wanted you to know that what happened wasn't Hicks' fault. He's important to me, but so are you. I'd really like it if you could give him a chance."

Gem let out a sigh, putting down his wrench and coming out from under the plane. He looked up to his sister.

"Gemma, there's a part of me that'll never be cool with Hicks." He began. "He's hurt you before, and at times, all I can think about is that he'll do it again."

"But Gem..."

"I know he was under Venjix's control for a lot of it." He interrupted her. "The truth is, I doubt its Hicks at all. I really don't know if I'd have been cool with anyone getting that close to you."

He straightened himself out as he tried to find the words to explain.

"Ever since we were born, we've shared everything. We were always together. We always knew what the other thought, how they felt, everything." He continued. "This is the first thing you've really done that I wasn't a part of. I guess I feel a little scared that we're losing that bond."

"We'll never lose that Gem." She assured him. "Sure I'm having this relationship, which is really new and exciting, but it's also a little scary and a bit confusing. It's all so new to me."

She took her brother's hand, holding it warmly.

"One of the things I know I'll always be able to rely on is you." She told him.

"He does seem to make you happy." Gem responded quietly. "I can only promise I'll try to give him a chance."

"That's all I ask." She replied. Just then, Hicks and Mike walked into the room. They were discussing something to do with the rebuild of the city when they noticed Gem and Gemma sitting by the jet.

"We can discuss these progress reports later." Mike said as diplomatically as he could, excusing himself from the conversation. "I just need to make a call."

Back in Vegas, Tommy had just finished describing the situation when he got to the final screen.

"Now, although their controlled area across the city is large, we've found the centre of their operations is in this building. The former Mandalay Bay casino." He informed them, pulling up its full schematics. "We figure if we manage to get in there and destroy the generals, then the Grinders will fall without sufficient leadership."

"The building appears to have been repaired with the security system being so tight, going in quietly will not be an option." Kira added. "As well as Grinders, there is also another threat to us in the building. One which we may find it hard to fight..."

"Hybrids." Dillon interjected. Tommy nodded sadly.

"Some of the guards are, unfortunately hybrids." Tommy informed them. "That means we can't risk bringing them to any harm. They aren't responsible for their actions."

Dillon shifted a little uneasily in his seat as they said this. So far he had not mentioned that he was a hybrid. It wasn't exactly one of the things he wanted to advertise openly, especially when his allies needed to trust him.

However, just when they mentioned the hybrids, he noticed that Adam was a little quiet, and he grew noticeably colder. Obviously there was a personal investment in this battle for everyone involved, but for some reason, it seemed to have some kind of deeper meaning for him. He recognised that look. Either he had lost someone close to him to a hybrid, or someone he knew had become a hybrid. He had seen that look many times when he was forced to battle his sister under Venjix's command.

"With surveillance so tight, there's no way we'll be able to get in without being seen." Tommy informed them. "It's not my favourite plan, but I think we may have no alternative but to take the building by force."

"I think Dr. K might have made the repairs on my Eagle Flyer." Scott chipped in. "It would only be able to take two of us, but it could bring two of us straight to the penthouse."

"The main command centre is in the business centre up there." Tommy informed them. "But taking two of us up there would leave them vulnerable. It would be a massacre."

"Well I do have another plan." Kira stated. "If I hitch a ride on the back, I could use the momentum to help me glide to the right floor for the security office. From there, I could secure the elevator to the penthouse for the rest of the team."

"So you're going to go into the security office alone?" Dillon asked her. "It's suicidal! You'd be in there alone! Whoever goes into the penthouse will be trapped their until you succeed!"

"You don't think I'm up to it?" Kira snapped at him. "I'll have you know, I was doing the Ranger thing long before..."

"I was born?" Dillon asked her sarcastically. Tommy immediately reached across, grabbing his wife as he saw the rage flashing across her face. She hated when anyone underestimated her. She had done it herself for much of her life. Usually it was short jokes that got to her, but age jokes were taking things a step too far.

"You arrogant..." Her words became muffled as Tommy clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Not smart." Adam whispered in Dillon's ear. "She has a temper."

"Besides, it isn't like we have a whole lot of choice." Flynn reminded him.

"Alright guys, I just want to thank you all for taking part in this." Tommy told them. "If we move fast and get to the penthouse quickly, we can seal the doors and concentrate on the Generals."

"Light doesn't really matter to Venjix's troops. They'll see us approaching the casino as clearly in darkness as in daylight." Scott reminded them. "I think it would be best if we rest up for the night and prepare for the assault in the morning. I'll contact Dr. K and let her know what's happening."

With that, they all turned from the table and left the room. As they did so, Kira gave Dillon a cold stare, clearly still not happy with his earlier slight. As he left the room, he watched Adam heading off to a room alone. He followed him, knocking gently on the door as he arrived.

"Tommy, I'm fine." Adam stated as he entered the room, not looking at the door. Dillon made his way inside, finding him tending to a child. He was small, with dark hair and olive skinned. From what little he could see, he appeared to be Adam's son.

He was playing with some toys. Dillon had never really been one for children, not really having the patience for them, but even he could tell that something was wrong. His posture was all wrong, very closed off and morose. He was incredibly quiet, making no sound at all as he played. He barely responded to his father's touch.

"Sorry, I just wanted to talk to you." Dillon told him. "He's yours?"

"His name's Jonny." Adam informed him, pulling the child onto his knee. By now, Dillon could see the boy's face, and could see that he was clearly very troubled. He wasn't just sad, it looked like he was hardly ever happy, and he couldn't look anyone in the eye. "He's 10 years old."

"Hi there." Dillon greeted him. Jonny didn't look at him, instead, turning into his father, burying his face in his chest and holding onto his dad like his life depended on it. Dillon frowned a little as he saw this.

"It's nothing personal." Adam assured him, holding his son tightly and stroking his back softly. "He doesn't speak to anyone. He doesn't even talk to me anymore. He hasn't talked since his mom was taken."

Dillon couldn't help feeling sorry for Adam as he heard this. Obviously Jonny's mom was the one he was worried about. Adam shook his head sadly as he held his son closely.

"Her name's Chrissie. She was a teacher at the same school as Tommy." He informed him, thinking about the woman he loved. "We met at his wedding. We got married a little over a year later."

"What happened?" Dillon asked him, unable to stop his thoughts straying to Summer. He couldn't imagine what he'd do if anything happened to her.

"When the first attacks came, I was a few miles away from the house. Chrissie and Jonny were in the house alone." He told the younger Black Ranger. "When I got there, the house was wrecked. Chrissie was gone. I couldn't find Jonny at first, but then eventually I found him under the floorboards. Chrissie had hidden him there when the Grinders came."

"She sacrificed herself to keep her son safe." Dillon surmised. Adam nodded.

"When I found him, he couldn't stop crying, but he wouldn't speak to anyone. He hasn't said a word since that day." Adam informed him. "I think he saw everything."

"Poor little guy. No wonder he's terrified." Dillon remarked sympathetically.

"Do you have kids?" Adam asked him. Dillon smiled.

"Not yet, but my wife's working on the first." Dillon told him. Adam nodded in understanding.

"This really tears me up inside." Adam told him. "I can't imagine what's going on in my son's head. I want to help him, but there's nothing I can do. I just can't get to him."

"You're doing the most valuable thing you can right now." Dillon told him. "I saw the way he grabbed onto you when I spoke to you."

"I guess he's terrified of losing me too." Adam responded. "I would give anything to hear him talk to me again."

With that, Dillon just put a hand on his shoulder, before getting up and leaving the room, leaving Adam for this time alone with his son. As much as it traumatised Jonny to see his mother taken away from him, he was sure that it had to tear Adam's heart out that soon he would have to go into battle again. That he would make his son face the possibility of losing him too. He didn't envy his predecessor as the Black Ranger for that.


	8. Throwing the Dice

Back in Corinth, Dr. K, or Sarah as she was slowly becoming used to being called, was sitting with Summer and Sam. They had invited Sam around, knowing that it had now been over a week since she had heard anything from Flynn. They knew that the guys were due to call in at some point soon, and were waiting for the call.

Summer couldn't help looking at Sam. She wasn't huge, but she was now noticeably growing, to the point that she had given up on her usual pants and shirt, in exchange for elasticated slacks and a slightly baggy t-shirt. She imagined herself being like that in a few months time. Sam had brought around a few pictures from her latest scan, letting them see them while they were waiting on the all.

"I can't believe how clear these are." Summer gushed, flipping through the pictures.

"They ought to be the way that doctor kept pressing on my stomach." Sam responded, sweeping some hair out of her face. "I thought for a moment he was trying to break through for a close up. After how much he made me drink, I was sure there was going to be an embarrassing accident."

"Did the doctor say he was happy with everything?" Dr. K asked her. Sam just nodded happily and held her stomach.

"The heartbeat's really strong." She told them. "It seems like he got his daddy's heart."

Just then, the communications screen burst into life, and Scott appeared on the screen. Flynn was next to him, squeezing into the shot as best he could in an attempt to see Sam.

"Sarah, we've just gotten a situation report on what's going over here." He told her. "How are the repairs to the Zords going?"

"Most of them are still off-line." She admitted, checking up her systems. "They were almost completely destroyed in the final battle. I do have a couple of them ready thought."

"What do we have?" Scott asked her, hoping that he could read his girlfriend as well as he thought he could.

"The Eagle Flyer is fully operational." She informed him. "The Road Attack Zord is about ninety eight per cent. The Lion Hauler should be ready by the morning."

"That's going to have to do. Thanks Sarah." He replied, smiling a little at the fact he was right. Her unconscious bias towards him had led to work on his Zord being completed first. The Road Attack Zord and the Lion Hauler would be a welcome bonus, but the plan he had formulated with Tommy and the others pretty much relied on it being ready. "Anyway, by the way Flynn keeps shoving; I'm guessing he's a little impatient, so I'll hand the communication over to him."

Sarah just shook her head and waved Sam over, realising that he was anxious to see her and speak to her. It wasn't deliberate, but communications could only be maintained for short periods of time over such distances. Scott had contacted Dr. K a couple of times, since they need to run over their situation report. Of course it also did seem a little unfair. Dillon had also contacted Summer once, so it seemed only fair that they let Flynn have a turn.

He shoved his way in so quickly in his enthusiasm; he accidentally shoved Scott against the wall. The Red Ranger let it go though; he could understand why he was distracted. Dr. K moved aside, letting Sam in front of the screen without the same hassle.

"You're looking even more beautiful than I remember pet." He greeted her warmly, reaching for the screen. He had only been gone a little over a week, but she had noticeably grown in that time. He longed to be able to reach through and touch her. "How are you?"

"I'm still experiencing the joys of pregnancy." She told him, stroking her stomach. "The baby seems to know something's not right. He hasn't settled down for more than a couple of hours since you left."

"He?" Flynn asked her. "Do you mean...?"

"I didn't find out the sex of the baby." Sam told him. "I know I should probably be more clinical, being in forensic science and all, but I just can't bring myself to call it 'the baby' or 'it' or..."

"I get the picture." He replied, chuckling a little to see her so excited. "So how did the scan go anyway?"

Sam put a DVD into the computer and hit a couple of buttons. Soon, the screen before Flynn split to show both Sam, and a recording of the sonogram. He smiled brightly as he saw his child on the screen. It was incredibly clear. He could see and hear the heart beating strongly.

"It's amazing!" He sighed gently, stroking his fingers across the screen. "I wish I'd been able to be there."

"I know you do." Sam whispered. "I wish you could be here too."

"I love you pet." He told her. "Stay healthy."

"You too." Sam replied. "I love you."

With that, they killed the link. Sam wiped her eyes with the back of her wrist as she turned back towards them.

"Bloody hormones, I was trying to be all stoic and strong." She said in a gentle laugh.

"I'm glad you had a chance to talk with him." Sarah replied, gesturing her over. She hugged her friend tightly, Summer doing likewise shortly afterwards. Summer parted from her a little way.

"Um...Sam, when did morning sickness begin for you?" She asked her.

"I think it was about..." With that, Summer clamped a hand over her face and ran from the room, heading into the bathroom so quickly; she didn't have time to worry about closing the door. They then heard a rather distinctive sound. Sam just laughed and made her way towards the bathroom.

"Welcome to the club." Sam said sympathetically, pulling back her hair.

"I really hate Dillon." She grumbled. Sam laughed again hearing this as Summer bent over the toilet, heaving again.

"Now you really are a part of the club." Sam told her. "It only gets better from here."

Over in Vegas, everyone was asleep, resting up in preparation of the assault on the Mandalay. Everyone was having a restful night, except for one. Scott came into the main war room, switching on the massive screen and accessing the files once more, going over his plan. He wished he had Sarah with him. With her expertise in programming, she could have run scenarios and numbers, giving him some idea of what the outcomes could be.

He had a phenomenal grasp of strategy between his time in the military, and his dad's constant stories and lessons when they were kids, he was an excellent strategist. He knew it was rare that she altered his strategies anyway, but it was always a comfort to him to have his ideas checked out before he put people's lives at risk. He heard a small cough behind him.

"Some things never change." Tommy stated, making his way over, taking a seat with him. "I used to get this way before the big battles."

"The Red guy always feels the sharp end huh?" Scott asked him. Tommy chuckled.

"Well there has been a few in my case." He responded. "So you're just checking your strategy?"

"My girlfriend's the real brains when it comes to stuff like that." Scott told him.

"I'm sure your strategy's fine." Tommy assured him. "You wouldn't have been able to defeat Venjix if you weren't up to this."

"It feels good to hear that coming from you." He answered quietly. "Your wife mentioned you've been doing this for a while."

"I was about 16 when I started." Tommy told him. "Four colours, five comebacks and more battles than I can count later, here we are."

"I can't imagine giving that much of myself to this." Scott commented. "I mean, I know I've loved my time as a Ranger, but to take that much out of your life..."

"It did take some things out of my life." Tommy informed him. "I lost at least two girlfriends, arguably three because of this. It took me longer to figure it out than most, but all you can really do is try to find a way to make it work. We all need a little normality."

He smiled a little, cracking open a soda and handing it to Scott, before opening one for himself.

"I can't say that it's always been easy, but in the end all of this led me to Kira." He told him. "My kids can be a pain in the ass at times, but I've loved every minute of it. I couldn't imagine changing a thing."

"That's always great to hear too." Scott assured him. "The world might be messed up, but you've got a pretty amazing life. I'm a little jealous."

"I'm sure you'll have your chance too." Tommy assured him as he put the display onto standby. "Now, how about we get a little rest?"

"That would be for the best." Scott told him as they went. "Anyway, I couldn't help noticing what happened with Emma earlier."

"It's not exactly a rare thing." Tommy assured him. "She's inherited my power, but she's inherited a lot more from her mother than she likes to admit. They've had some pretty good screaming matches in the past."

"Well given the way she started up with Dillon, I can believe that." Scott stated. "So how do you and Frank survive?"

"Three words duck and cover." Tommy laughed as they left. Just then, Emma started to shift back into view and approached the viewing screen. Switching it back on, she realised that just as she had thought, he had only put the screen on standby. He hadn't shut down the mainframe. Finding the battle strategy up on the system, she smiled, checking over it.

"Frank is so going to freak when he finds out I got this." She commented to herself, making a copy before shutting down the system and fading back into nothing.

Over in Corinth, Ziggy was enjoying his time with Alex and Tenaya, doting on his son to make up for their time apart. Alex in particular seemed to love seeing his daddy again after being away from him. He had only been gone a couple of days, but at this stage of his life, that was an incredibly long time to the little boy. Tenaya could see that Alex was trying hard to stay awake; his exhaustion close to overtaking him, but his excitement was keeping him going so far.

"Ziggy, it's getting late. We really should be getting him to bed." She told him regretfully. "You can see him again in the morning."

"I know. I'm sorry I kept him up so long." Ziggy told her. "I just really missed him."

"Why don't you tuck him in?" Tenaya asked him. Ziggy seemed delighted by the idea and made his way to their room to put him down for the night.

Tenaya went to the DVD collection to find something for them to watch. She looked through the collection when she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, stroking them gently. She smiled as Ziggy kissed her cheek gently.

"You were right about Alex. He was out like a light as soon as he hit the mattress." Ziggy informed her. "He's really something isn't he?"

"He really is." She agreed.

"Seeing him like that really makes me think." He told her. "I can't believe things have worked out like this. I never thought I would have any of this."

"We have been pretty lucky." Tenaya agreed with a smile.

"I love you Mrs. Grover." He whispered. Tenaya smiled as he said this, and turned to face him.

"I'm not Mrs. Grover yet." She reminded him as she drew in closely, pressing her lips to his.

Over in Vegas, the base was still, with only a few guards doing patrols. Emma and Frank made their way into the hangar, avoiding the patrols as they had done so many times since they came here.

Emma used her power to look around without risking being seen. Once she satisfied herself, she and her brother sprinted to the nearest transport vehicle. Emma acted as lookout while Frank opened the door and got in. Entering behind him, she shut the door.

"Are you sure you can drive this thing?" Emma asked him.

"Please, it's hardly rocket science." Frank told his sister dismissively. "If anything it's easier to drive than dad's old car."

"Dad let you drive the car?" Emma asked him. Frank sucked his teeth.

"Define 'letting' me drive the car." Frank responded. "Does leaving the keys on the kitchen table count?"

"Just...get on with it." Emma told him. "Their attack schedule said they'll be assembling in the war room in a couple of hours. If we don't go before they're awake we'll miss all the good stuff."

Frank started up the engine, and activated the control to the door of the hangar, pulling out and heading for the gate.

One of the guards watched the vehicle leave, failing to stop as he tried to flag it, and immediately got on his communicator.

"Commander Oliver, someone just took one of the transport vehicles." The guard instructed him. "They left the compound."

"I didn't order any excursions." Tommy stated wearily as he got up from his bed, reaching for some clothes. Kira stirred and rubbed her eyes as he did so. "Did you see who it was?"

"The shields were down." The guard told him. "Do you want me to activate the tracking system?"

"No, if they've left the compound, doing that will only make it easier for Semtex to track them." Tommy told him. "Whoever it is, they have a better chance of coming back if we don't."

"What's going on?" Kira asked him. Tommy turned to his wife as he pulled on a pair of Khaki pants.

"Someone just took one of our transport vehicles." He informed her. "It's probably nothing, go back to sleep."

"It's only a couple of hours until the briefing anyway." Kira reminded him, getting out of bed with a long, low yawn as she reached to her chest of drawers for an outfit. "We're up anyway. Maybe we can spend this time constructively."

Just then, the intercom activated, and Adam's voice came across the system.

"Guys, you might want to bring the briefing forward." He suggested. Tommy pressed the button to talk.

"Why would we do that?" He asked him. Kira immediately pulled on an outfit quickly and rushed out of the room. Sure enough, she found Adam standing outside Emma and Frank's room.

"I was woken by the radio." Adam told her. "I did a quick sweep like I usually do when there's a security scare..."

Kira looked into the room, finding it empty. Tommy came over beside her and looked into the room in horror.

"Damn it!" Kira snapped. "I can't believe they've done this!"

"I'll call the others to the war room." Adam told them, running off. Tommy held his wife warmly.

"Kira, they'll be..."

"They'll be what? They'll be fine?" She asked him. "Tommy, you know how dangerous it is, even just a little beyond the fences. You and I both know exactly where they're heading."

"Kira, we've trained them both well." He assured her. "They're not going to do anything stupid."

"Like steal a transport vehicle and head out to the Mandalay?" She asked him. Tommy just sighed and shook his head as he realised she was right. They had been trained from an early age to accept their powers, and the impact it would have on their lives. They had prepared them for the eventuality that who their parents were would put them in danger. It was only natural that after all that they would want a part of that action for themselves. "I swear, if Venjix doesn't..."

"I know Kira." He whispered. "I'm worried about them too."

With that, they headed to the war room to assemble with the team. It was a couple of hours earlier than they had intended to go, leaving them little time to prepare, but he knew the others would understand them rushing into things. Their children were at stake.

Adam went into his room, finding Jonny sleeping soundly. A female officer was accompanying him.

"Keep an eye on him." He instructed her. "I hate leaving him like this, but it would only worry him. He's been through so much already."

"I'll take care of him sir." She told him. "You just go and take care of Semtex."

Meanwhile, over in the Mandalay, General Semtex was in his Command Centre, sharpening his blades on an angle grinder when another General came into the room.

"What is it Leviathan?" He asked in a dismissive growl. Leviathan was a blue-green metal monstrosity with armour which resembled scales. He had a prehensile tail which thrashed, seemingly with a life of its own, and a massive, jawed head, fashioned after the fabled sea serpent that was his namesake. Spines ran the length of his back, and razor sharp claws that could rend steel extended from his fingers.

"The scanners have picked up a small energy signature from the wastes." He informed his superior with a short bow. "It's just reached the edge of the city."

"Is the vehicle armed?" Semtex asked him.

"We don't know." He replied. "The signal is still weak. We'll know more once it gets closer."

"It's best not to risk it." Semtex mused. "Send some Grinders on a search and destroy mission. That vehicle is not to come within two miles of the building."

"As you wish!" Leviathan responded, bowing once more, before turning to leave. He stopped at a console.

"There is a vehicle in the north-western quadrant approaching the Command Centre." He stated with a sick smile. "General Semtex isn't interested in recycling. Wipe it off the face of the earth."


	9. Troublesome Twins

It was a beautiful day in Corinth Square. The rebuild having been completed, the city had been able to slow down and take some time to relax. A citywide holiday had been declared to honour the heroes who had saved humanity from extinction. It was for that reason that this day was also chosen as the day to bless the union of the woman who had masterminded the whole operation to destroy Venjix, and the man who had led the team that had accomplished the task.

Dr. K's head rested limply on Scott's shoulder as he carried her to the luxury apartment they had been gifted for the night. It had been a long day, and between the dancing, the speeches and the dancing, she had expended all her energy. Because of her small size, and the fact she still wasn't used to drinking, the champagne had pretty much finished her off, and so she was simply exhausted. Scott smiled at her as they arrived at the door of the apartment.

"We're here Dr. Truman." He whispered to her. Dr. K felt her heart racing as he called her that. She had never known what it was to have a family. Even when she found out her family name, she refused to use it, having long since accepted the fact that her family had rejected her. Now, she knew where she belonged. Now she was a Truman.

He opened the door to the apartment, carrying her across the threshold. The main room was brilliant white, and all the lights had been turned down low. The room was covered in candles, giving it a warm, orange glow. Lily petals had been scattered all over the floor, and soft, classical music was playing in the background. Dr. K kissed his cheek.

"This is perfect." She whispered to him. "I love you so much."

"Well if you think this is good, wait until you see this." He told her. He took her across the room towards where a large, ornately patterned four-poster bed was waiting, setting her down on plump, soft pillows of a deep red. He held up two glasses, pouring some champagne before handing one to her.

"Here's to the rest of our lives." He whispered, sinking his glass in one swig, before throwing it over his shoulder, where it shattered with a distinctive tinkle. Dr. K held up her own glass and smiled at him.

"To the rest of our lives." She whispered in response, before gulping it down in one go, before letting it fall over the edge of the bed to the floor, before drawing him in, kissing him deeply. He parted a little from her, looking into her eyes. Dr. K's smile slipped as she saw a dark figure appearing behind him. Light reflected off a sharp knife in his hand.

Before she could warn him, a hand grabbed Scott by the hair, pulling his head back, and he dragged the knife across his throat, slicing it open. His hand shot to his neck, and he gurgled as thick, dark blood leaked from his wound, and his eyes became glassy and lifeless. His blood leaked over her, covering her face and chest. Dr. K screamed as he slumped to the bed beside her lifelessly. A dozen other men appeared around her bed from the shadows.

"You had no right to a life Dr. K." A booming voice declared. "You were our property. Now we've come to reclaim you."

"You killed him!" She screamed at the murderer. "I loved him!"

"His death is your fault." The murderer declared as his accomplices grabbed her, holding her fast. "You knew you were our property. You knew that we would never be able to afford to let you go free. It was inevitable we would come for you."

"I'm Sarah Truman!" She screamed at him. "I'm no one's property!"

"That's where you're wrong." The murderer told her. Just then, a heavy canvas bag war pulled over her head, plunging her into darkness.

Sarah snapped out of her sleep, screaming as the nightmare ended. She had found out the truth behind her captivity in the Alphabet Soup facility a little before Scott had left to go to Vegas. It had been a harsh truth to find out. While it was traumatic to believe that she had been kidnapped on behalf of the United States Government, at least it was something that no one could have prevented. While she never believed that her parents would ever kick in the door of her cell and take her home, it was something that comforted her to at least think that they were looking for her.

Of course now she knew that there was nothing further from the truth. Far from looking for her, it had been her parents that had condemned her to that life, all for the sake of 100,000 dollars. She hadn't been working for her Government to make the world a safer place; she had been working for a corporation whose only interest was profit. Worst of all, she had found out that had she not unleashed the Venjix Virus, it would have been unleashed into the world once the programming had been refined to the point they could defeat it, all in the name of profit.

She got up from her bed, making her way to the bathroom and washed her face. She hated to feel like this. She knew all of this. She knew the truth behind her life. She knew that she had a family with the Rangers who cared about her, and she knew that Scott loved her deeply. She had pledged her life to him, but something about the dream spoke to her. She had never been a fan of psychology, but she had read enough to know that often dreams revealed a lot about underlying issues and anxieties that played on the mind.

There was something about the nature of dreams that had always terrified her. It wasn't like the things in her lab, which she could manipulate and control at will; dreams were something even she couldn't stop.

Out in Vegas, Frank was driving the transport through the streets of the city towards Semtex's headquarters in the old Mandalay Bay casino building. Emma was checking some weaponry in the racks in the back.

"Come on bro, I thought you said you could drive this thing." She complained. "You're going slower that Uncle Ethan!"

"In case you hadn't noticed, this is an APC, not a sports car." He reminded her. "Besides, we don't want to get there too far ahead of mom and dad. I don't know about you, but facing them alone is a little more adventure than I was looking for."

"Then you might not want to look ahead!" Emma screeched, pointing out the front window. Frank turned back to the road, seeing dozens of Grinders heading towards them in patrol vehicles. As the first outriders fired blasts from their bikes, the armoured vehicle rocked violently, throwing Emma around in the back.

"Hold on, this is going to be a rough ride!" Frank warned her, before hitting the gas, smashing his vehicle through the first of the Grinders, sending debris flying everywhere.

Meanwhile, the Lion Hauler was blasting through the streets, following the faint trail of the vehicle Emma and Frank had stolen earlier. Flynn fought hard with the controls. Due to the timeline being brought forward unexpectedly, he had been forced to call his vehicle before Dr. K had completed the repairs. He was confident that the weapons would work just fine, but it was running a little rougher than he was used to. All things considered, he'd have preferred it if they had had the opportunity to complete the repairs and gone into battle at 100 percent.

Dillon was in the back with Adam, both of them already morphed and ready for action. Adam was holding his Axe Blaster on his knee, prepared for action. Dillon felt badly for him, knowing what this battle meant for him. It was a chance for him to avenge everything Semtex had taken from him. It was a chance for him to avenge the loss of his wife, and what it had done to his son, and yet he also knew how empty it was at the same time. Even if this was it, even if they did manage to destroy the Generals and reclaim their city, it wouldn't give him back what he had lost. He would still have to go home to a son who had been so traumatised by what he had seen; he hadn't spoken in almost two years. He would still have to try and build a life for them without her. It made him fear once again for his wife back in Corinth. Although he missed her dreadfully, he was thankful he didn't have things as bad as Adam did.

Over in the Eagle Zord, Scott was racing as quickly as he could, with Tommy in his Zeo Ranger outfit in the seat next to him. He still couldn't believe that he was actually going on a mission with a man who had been actively involved in the Ranger business for over twenty years. He had always considered the fact that he had no idea how long he would be needed as a Ranger, but seeing Tommy, it had simultaneously frightened, and yet also excited him to wonder if that was his future.

"Tommy, have the scanners picked anything up yet?" Kira screamed at him from the back. Her voice was filled with desperation, born out of fear for her children's safety, and anger at their careless and thoughtless actions in racing out into the city.

"Nothing yet Kira." He answered her. He seemed a lot calmer than his wife, but it was still a front. Scott could feel the tension in the vehicle. They were both naturally terrified about what could have happened to them.

The vehicle pitched a little as he ran over the wreckage of a patrol bike. Scott checked the computer, finding it was still smoking.

"The wreckage is fresh." He told them. "They were here recently."

"That also means Semtex knows they're out here." Kira added in a panic. "We have to find them!"

Just then, they rounded a corner, finding an overturned APC, the armour twisted and smoking. Grinders were gathered around it, firing into it. Kira and Tommy immediately bailed out of the Eagle Zord, while Scott brought it to a halt. Adam and Dillon did likewise.

"Get away from my kids!" Kira screamed as she rushed towards the Grinders, calling out her Ptera Grips. Tommy joined her with his Zeo Sword. Flynn cleared a path with the Lion hauler as they rushed towards the vehicle. Adam, Dillon, Tommy and Kira fought furiously to stop the Grinders attacking the vehicle.

Just then, a stray blast from the battle hit the fuel tank of the APC. The Rangers all looked up in horror as the ruined vehicle exploded, debris scattering all across the landscape. Kira sank to her knees as she watched this, tears forming in her eyes.

Just then, a hellish, high-pitched scream erupted from debris a little way off. All the Rangers clutched their helmets, trying to block out the noise, but saw dozens of Grinders smashing into oblivion. On the other side, others started flying around, smashing to pieces. Frank came into view on top of a ruined bus stop with a blaster in his hands, firing into the ranks of robotic foot soldiers, while his sister appeared from thin air, also firing a blaster.

Tommy rushed to the attack with a renewed vigour, carving his way through the army before them. Adam joined his long-time friend in the battle, backed up by Dillon as Scott and Flynn finally got out of their vehicles, joining the battle.

Kira got back to her feet as the battle started to wind down. The last Grinder was brought to its knees by a kick to the back of the leg from Frank at which Emma kicked its head off, causing it to roll to a halt by her.

Emma and Frank high-fived each other, and congratulated each other over their success. Their excitement was short-lived as they turned in time to see Kira getting to her feet slowly. She recalled her helmet, at which they could see the tears in her eyes. They both looked at each other, feeling an overwhelming sense of shame as she approached them. They realised what they had put her through in their pursuit of an adventure of their own.

"Mom, we're sorry..." Emma was cut off as Kira hugged them both tightly, squeezing them both in her relief to see her children safe. She parted from them.

"What the hell were you thinking?" She yelled at them. "You could have been killed! Do you not see what happened to the vehicle? I've been going out of my mind!"

"We're sorry mom." Emma muttered quietly. "We didn't mean to make you worry so much."

"We only wanted to fight Semtex." Frank told her. "We wanted to be heroes like you and dad. We wanted you to be proud of us."

"We always have been proud of you." Tommy assured his children as he joined them, hugging them both as he recalled his helmet. "You don't need to run out and fight to accomplish that."

"We just wanted to prove we were as brave as you." Frank told him. "You and mom always told us about all the battles you were in..."

"What you did wasn't brave, it was stupid." Kira interrupted her son. "We didn't go out looking for those battles. We only fought when we had to. We didn't choose to become Rangers; it was just what we needed to do."

"We fought so hard in the hopes you would never have to." Tommy explained.

"We're sorry." Emma reiterated, throwing her arms around her mother, breaking down in tears.

"Well Semtex already knows we're out here." Flynn commented. "What do we want to do?"

"We go ahead with the plan." Scott told them. "We're all out here. There are no Rangers back at Area 51. If they beat us back, they'll be all but defenceless."

"The only way is to keep going." Adam agreed. "If we destroy Semtex, it'll force his troops back to defend their headquarters."

"What about the kids?" Kira asked him. "Who's going to take them back?"

"There's no time." Scott told her regretfully. "If we go ahead with this, we have to go now."

Kira looked to her husband, then to her kids as she tried to size up the situation. She pointed a finger at them in warning.

"Both of you are to stay in the Lion Hauler, is that clear?" She ordered them. Having already upset their mother once, and knowing they were bound to face their real punishment later, they were in no hurry to argue with her. They just nodded obediently and went with Adam back to the Lion Hauler. Kira called forth her helmet once more. "Alright, let's go get Semtex."

As they left, Flynn kicked the head of the Grinder Emma and Frank had decapitated earlier into the distance. Over in the Mandalay, Semtex watched the footage it played, and laughed.

"Well now we know that they're coming." He commented. "Leviathan!"

Leviathan came into the room, bowing to his superior as he arrived.

"The Ranger Legend has decided to throw all his eggs in one basket today." He informed him. "Have the building on lockdown. I want all units in the lobby. I want every Grinder available ready to fight. Activate all the hybrids and have them keep the security room under control."

"It will be done sir." Leviathan responded. As he left, Semtex turned to a corner of the room, were a large, steel door was situated. Heading towards it, it opened for the only one that had security clearance for this room. Inside was a laboratory, dedicated to the upkeep of the third General. In the centre of the room, there was a large, heavy chair, much like a dentist's chair with mechanical tentacles all around, carrying various tools and syringes. The General was sitting in the chair, held in place by heavy restraints securing her arms and legs to the chair.

"It is almost time for your debut General Scylla." He told her, stroking the General's head. She was a hybrid, a human woman, around her mid thirties, with long, raven black hair. She was wearing a form-fitting black bodysuit with a few plates of armour in places. A black visor covered her face. "Activate."

Suddenly Scylla came into consciousness, staring out through the visor, its display showing her various scans and analysis of her environment. She blinked a few times, trying to get her bearings.

"You have been in development long enough." Semtex told her, recalling her visor and looking directly into her human eyes. "You are by far my finest creation, and soon you will have the chance to prove that."

He produced a picture of the Black Dino Ranger, showing it to her.

"This will be your test." He told her. "Destroy him, and claim your place by my side."

"I will." Scylla responded as the restraints opened, allowing her to stand up. "The Black Ranger will fall by my hand!"


	10. Don't Crap Out

Scott gunned the engine, blasting towards the Mandalay, the Lion Hauler only a little way behind him. Tommy was checking the computer console on the dashboard next to him as he approached.

"We're so close we'll be showing up on their scanners." Tommy informed them. "There's no point keeping minimal power now."

"Bringing all weapons on-line!" Flynn responded, activating all the systems in his Zord. "It's nearly crunch time."

"Alright guys, you all know what your roles are." Scott told them. Just then, the Mandalay came into view. There were already numerous Grinders posted on guard. Large cannons rose out of the roof, before turning to point towards them.

"It looks like the welcome mat's out." Flynn commented.

"I'm going airborne." Scott told him, activating flight mode. "Keep them busy!"

"We'll do that alright fearless leader." Flynn assured him. "I'm planning to park this thing right in the lobby!"

Back in Corinth, Gem and Gemma were preparing for their flight out to Turtle Cove. Hicks and Vasquez arrived, finding them just loading up the last of their supplies.

"So you're almost ready to head out again?" Hicks asked them. Gemma came over, kissing him gently.

"We're hoping it won't take us too long to sort out the situation over there." Gem told him excitedly. "We wouldn't want to miss the party!"

The construction crew had, by now, almost completed the work rebuilding the city. Mike was preparing for the completion of the project by organising a full-blown public holiday to celebrate the victory over Venjix, and honour those that didn't make it through the war. The construction workers were already preparing to move on to their next project. Most of the city though, were just happy to finally be getting back to some semblance of normality. People were slowly but surely being moved from temporary accommodation into newly built, clean, safe housing. The hospitals were no longer overstretched, the regular flow of casualties beginning to wane as the injured had now mostly been treated.

"I really hope you get through this quickly." Hicks responded with a smile. "I was kind of hoping my favourite Ranger would be able to save me a dance for the ceremony."

"Just thinking about it makes me determined to get back sooner." She replied. As they kissed again, Gem simulated gagging. Vasquez had to try not to laugh at this behaviour. She had heard that Gemma and Hicks had decided to try and make their relationship work. "I'll try my best to get back quickly."

"I'll look forward to it." Hicks replied. "Have a safe trip."

With that, Gemma got on the jet, followed closely by her brother. As the jet took off, Vasquez saw Hicks smiling.

"You seem a lot happier about her going this time." She commented.

"Well this time I know she's coming back to me." He told her with a smile. Vasquez put her arm around him, holding him as the jet disappeared over the horizon.

Back in Vegas, the Eagle Zord soared through the air, banking sharply to avoid blasts from the roof cannons. Scott opened fire, destroying them.

"Kira, you're up!" He told her. Kira bailed out, accessing her Super Dino Mode and gliding down towards the security floor. She crashed through the glass into the building.

"She's on her own." Scott told Tommy. "Are you sure she's up to it?"

"She destroyed Zeltrax almost single-handed because she was worried about me." Tommy told him. "This time not only am I here, but our kids are down in the Lion Hauler. There's nothing that can stop her when her family's in danger."

"Flynn keep everyone's attention down in the lobby." Tommy called through his communicator. "Kira will tell you when the elevators are secured."

"Will do fearless leader!" Flynn replied as he powered up his engine, smashing the Lion Hauler into the lobby. Adam and Dillon bailed out, beginning to carve a path through the warriors in the lobby.

"Remember, stay in the vehicle kids!" Flynn instructed the twins as he too got out and joined the fray.

Up on the security floor, Kira was fighting hard against a legion of Grinders. She knew that she would have a tough fight when she agreed to secure the elevators, but the numbers were telling on her. Every time she cut down one Grinder, another five were there. She fought as hard as she could, but kept finding herself being thrown this way and that.

"Kira, what's your status?" Tommy asked her over the communicator. "Scott and I are really feeling the heat up here!"

"Doing all I can!" She replied, changing her Thundermax Sabre into blaster mode and launching a hail of fire, taking down many of them. "I'm nearly at the office!"

She managed to get to the office, before shutting the security door, locking it from the inside. As she got up, making her way towards the computer, she was thrown into a wall hard by a power blast. As she looked up, Leviathan stepped into view, wielding a pair of sabres.

"Guy, I think I may be in a little bit of trouble here." Kira told them, getting to her feet.

Up in the penthouse, Tommy and Scott were also finding themselves under pressure. It seemed like Grinders were appearing from nowhere. Since Kira hadn't yet managed to secure the security office, they were still in control of the building, and so they had free access anywhere in the building. Semtex was standing in the centre of the room, just watching as they continued their fight.

"This definitely takes me back!" Tommy yelled as he disposed of a couple with his Zeo Sword. "I haven't had a battle this intense in years!"

"It's only going to get worse!" Scott told him. "Semtex hasn't even joined the dance yet!"

"Adam, how are things going down there?" Tommy called over the communicator.

Down in the lobby, Adam and the others were a little curious that they actually seemed to be running out of opponents. Instead of more Grinders coming into the battle, it seemed that they were being diverted elsewhere. He carved down a few more with his Power Axe, finally clearing the lobby.

"We've managed to secure the lobby!" Adam told him. "We're just waiting on word from Kira before we proceed."

"I think you might have just tempted fate a little with that one pal." Flynn commented, pointing towards the door to the main casino floor. They watched as people started filing into the lobby, surrounding them.

"It looks like they're hybrids." Flynn commented. At that, an elderly woman surged forward with unbelievable speed and punched him, sending him flying almost 30 feet through a pillar. He struggled back to his feet. "Alright, they're definitely hybrids."

"There are too many of them..."

"You bet there are." Scylla stated as she strode into view. Flynn leaned in, whispering in Dillon's ear.

"What is it with Venjix and form-fitting coveralls?" He asked him. "Your sister suited it, and she'd kind of cute, but I remember you..."

"Will I ever get to live that outfit down?" Dillon asked him. Flynn shook his head. Adam recalled his helmet, stepping forward with his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"Chrissie?" He asked her. Scylla brought up her visor.

"Hello lover, did you miss me?" She asked him. Adam's grip tightened on the Power Axe as he looked into the face of the woman he loved.

"Keep it together Adam." Dillon told him. "Don't listen to anything she says, she'll say anything to get a rise out of you."

"Take care of the others." He instructed him. "I'll take care of the thing that murdered my wife!"

"Adam no!" Dillon screamed as the older Black Ranger immediately went into a frenzy, attacking Scylla with everything he had. Dillon was quickly cut off from him, struggling with his own opponents. All he could do was hope that he could reach Adam before he destroyed her, or she destroyed him.

Up in the security office, Kira hit the main console, de-morphing as she did so. Her battle with Leviathan wasn't going as well as she'd hoped. She had given him almost everything she had in her, but she was quickly coming to the conclusion she was overmatched. He approached her slowly.

"Aren't you a little old for spandex?" He asked her, kicking her roughly, causing her to tumble away from him a few feet. "You were never any match for me!"

Just then, he flew backwards as though attacked by an unseen opponent. Emma appeared a little way from her, putting her arm around her protectively.

"No one messes with our family!" Frank snarled, kicking him again as he too came to his mother's side protectively. He unleashed his Ptera Scream, blasting him into a bulkhead.

"I told you two to stay in the Lion Hauler." Kira reminded them.

"Come on mom, you didn't really think we'd miss this!" Frank responded. "We are your kids remember."

As Leviathan started to get back to his feet, noticeably damaged by the assault, Frank and Emma looked to their mother.

"You can't do this by yourself." Frank told her. "Maybe together we can do it!"

Kira nodded and shielded her daughter's ears as she and Frank combined their efforts into their Ptera Scream. Leviathan thrashed wildly as his body started to fall apart, unable to withstand the sonic vibrations bombarding him. Kira and Frank both struggled, pushing their abilities to the max causing him to explode as his power cell ruptured. Kira slumped towards the floor, feeling light-headed as she finally stopped. Frank caught her.

"Remind me to raise your allowance when we get home." She croaked, her throat strained by the exertion.

"Does this mean we're not grounded?" Emma asked hopefully. Kira just looked at her.

"What do you think?" She croaked out as Frank helped her to her feet.

"Aw man!" Frank moaned as he helped his mom to the security console. Kira started activating security protocols, shutting down grids and locking security doors, preventing Grinders from getting to the main battle site on the top floor.

She held her Dino Bracelet to her daughter, realising that by now her voice was all but gone. Emma spoke into it.

"The Grinders are dealt with." She informed her father. "The elevators are secure; you're all good to go."

"Emma?" Tommy asked her. "What the hell are you doing there?"

"Umm...helping?" She offered.

"We're going to talk about this later." He assured her. "Flynn, Adam, Dillon, get up here!"

"We're a little busy right now!" Dillon informed him. "The hybrids are still active, that means the control conduit has to be operating."

"Where is it?" Tommy asked them. Kira started hacking the system, thankful that in her time knowing Ethan, she had managed to pick up some tricks. She held her bracelet to her daughter again.

"It's inside Semtex!" She informed her father. "You have to destroy him!"

"That's a little easier said than done!" Scott replied as Semtex finally joined the battle, smashing him aside. "Hold on!"

Down in the lobby, Dillon and Flynn were doing their best to try and bring down the hybrids without hurting them too much. Dillon in particular was worried about Adam and his battle with Chrissie. He couldn't explain that Chrissie wasn't dead, that no matter what she believed, that she was still alive within Scylla. Adam though looked like he had every intention of destroying her.

Chrissie caught one of his blows with the Power Axe, before kicking him across the room. She sneered at him as he de-morphed, glaring up at her hatefully.

"Sorry to do this, but I think it'll be a lot cheaper than a divorce." She taunted him. "Not to mention it'll be a whole lot quicker and less hassle."

With that, she threw the Power Axe, sending it spinning towards him. Adam closed his eyes, preparing for the end, but it didn't come. He opened his eyes, looking up at Dillon, who had de-morphed, and made it across in time to catch it just inches from Adam's face.

"How did you...?"

"Let's just say your wife's not the only one who's been eating her vitamins and saying her prayers." He told him.

"You're a hybrid?" Adam asked him. Dillon nodded.

"Your wife isn't dead Adam, she's trapped inside Scylla." He informed him. "The others are trying to destroy the control conduit, if they destroy Semtex, then your wife will be free."

"I need to help her..."

"Adam, this is going to be too hard for you, just trust me." Dillon told him. "You and Flynn go and help the others, let me worry about your wife."

Adam just nodded in understanding, morphing again as he and Flynn made their way to the elevator. Dillon and Chrissie circled each other.

"You're a hybrid too?" She asked him. "Well, I guess that'll make this a little more interesting."

"I don't want to hurt you, but I will." Dillon told her. "Your little boy misses his mom."

She paused for a second as she heard this. Dillon could see that he'd gotten through to her on some level. Knowing what he went through with his sister, he knew that he needed to use any strong emotional ties to reach her through the control software.

"Jonny?" She asked him. "He's alive?"

"You hid him when the Grinders came for you. You sacrificed yourself to save him." He reminded her. "Your boy saw what happened. He saw you being taken away!"

He approached her slowly; somewhat hoping he had reached her. As he got close enough, he could see tears in her eyes.

"It doesn't matter! I'm Scylla now!" She snapped, grabbing him by the wrist and locking him into a painful arm lock. "All humans are my enemies!"

"Let's see how you feel about that in a little while." He replied, rolling through with the pressure, regaining his feet and kicking her away. Chrissie glared at him as she renewed her attack.

Up in the penthouse, Scott and Tommy had managed to take out the last of the Grinders, and were now able to concentrate on Semtex. Tommy and Scott attacked in unison, staggering him as the elevator arrived, heralding the arrival of Kira, Emma, Frank, Adam and Flynn.

"I thought I told you two to stay safe!" Tommy reprimanded them.

"Dad, if we didn't help, mom would have been destroyed!" Frank told him. "This guy's taken so much from us, we want to help!"

"We need something to tip the balance!" Tommy called out. "Do you have anything more powerful?"

"I was just waiting for the opportunity to bust this out." Scott told them, calling out the Road Attack Zord. Putting his engine cell into it, he powered it up. "All just follow my lead!"

With that, he cast it forward, activating its robotic mode. It surged forward, catching him with a hard attack, before turning into wheel mode, landing by Scott.

"Burnout!" He yelled, slamming his hands into it and sending it forward. Semtex tried to stop it, but it was far too powerful. As it rebounded, Flynn was the next to utilise it, sending it back, at which it ran over him.

"My turn!" Tommy called out, intercepting it and sending it back over him, sending debris flying. "Adam, it's coming your way!"

Adam sent it back, tearing into him more. Kira was there to send it back again, smashing him once more. Semtex got to his feet, sparks flying from him as the zord returned to the Rangers. They all assembled behind the Road Attack Zord, powering it up to its highest power levels.

"Time for you to cash in and leave the table!" Scott told him before activating the burnout attack one last time. Semtex let out a scream as he exploded into a thousand pieces.

Down in the lobby, Dillon held Chrissie tightly as she struggled against him. He saw her eyes flashing, and then her face fell. He looked at her, releasing her slowly as he became convinced she was free of the control programming. She fell to her knees, clutching t sides of her head.

"What have they done to me?" She whimpered. "What am I?"

"You're the same person you've always been." He told her. "You're a mom who's been away from her husband and her son for too long."

"Adam...how can he ever forgive me?" She asked him. "Jonny..."

"Jonny misses his mom very much." Dillon told her. "It's time you go home."

"But...how can I? I'm not human!" She sniffed as she wiped away some tears. "I'm a monster."

"No, you're just different." He replied, picking up a rock, before crushing it into powder, demonstrating his strength. "You're a hybrid now. The implants are always going to be a part of who you are now."

"But I tried to kill Adam." She reminded him. "How can he ever forgive me?"

"Why don't you ask him?" Dillon asked her, nodding behind her. Adam was just stepping out of the elevator at that point. She looked away from him, feeling ashamed about the fact she attacked him. She could remember everything about the fight. Adam knelt down beside her, cradling her chin and turning her face towards him.

"Chrissie?" He asked her, smiling at her.

"Adam, I'm so sorry..."

He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers, kissing her passionately. She stared at him in disbelief as he parted from her.

"I know it wasn't you." He told her. "Chrissie, I love you."

He helped her to her feet, looking her up and down. He smiled a little.

"I know a little man who'll be very pleased to see you." He told her. She smiled.

"Jonny?" She asked him. Adam nodded.

"It's time to go home." He told her. "Although we might want to get you something else to wear."

At that, Flynn arrived, carrying a t-shirt bearing the Mandalay Bay logo, and a pair of jeans. Adam looked at him curiously.

"Gift shop." He explained with a shrug. "Something tells me it won't be missed."

With that, Chrissie went to the bathroom to change, smiling as she thought about the prospect of going home to her son.


	11. The Fate of the Wild Force

Gem and Gemma were flying high over the clouds as they made their way towards Turtle Cove. They had received a distress signal from the city longer ago than they would have liked to respond to it, but since there were only two cities known to be secure enough to spare their Ranger teams to the efforts to return the world to humanity.

"The GPS system says we're almost there." Gemma informed her brother.

"I think that much is a given!" Gem replied, gesturing to a high, thick, dark cloud of smog that dominated the landscape. It extended much higher than the natural cloud cover, and ominously concealed the ground from view.

"The GPS signal from the distress signal is coming from underneath the cloud cover." Dr. K informed them through the communicator. "Switch to night vision and descend."

Gem and Gemma pulled out visors and put them on as he descended quickly. Even with the enhanced vision mode, they found it hard to see far enough. Just then, the lights inside started flashing red and the collision alarms sounded.

"What the hell?" Gemma screeched. "We're at 38,000 feet. There shouldn't be anything up here!"

Suddenly, a large oasis of light appeared in the cloud. Gem and Gemma whipped off their visors as they broke into the bubble. Gem had to swerve hard to avoid a large, pointed cliff. He banked around as he tried to slow down. Gemma checked their altimeter.

"Gem, we're still over 30,000 feet above sea level." She informed him with a huge grin on her face. "Do you know where we are?"

"You can't be serious!" He called out, bouncing in his seat excitedly. "You mean it's real?"

Since their upbringing in the Alphabet Soup facility was geared towards keeping them over stimulated and their outlook on life childlike, part of their routine was a regular slew of fairy tales told to them every night. Some of their favourite tales surrounded the myth of the hidden floating island of the Animarium. They had never considered the possibility it was real. As far as they knew it was purely a story. Now though, they seemed to be seeing it with their own eyes.

The jet shifted slightly as a pair of craft blasted past them. They looked at each other; their eyes open in wonder as they changed direction impossibly in the air for any craft they knew of. One was a large, yellow metallic plane fashioned after a Golden Eagle. The other was a gigantic red Falcon.

"Identify yourselves." A communication in a female voice came across the intercom. "You have 30 seconds to comply or we will engage."

"We're from Corinth; we received your distress signal." Gemma responded. "I'm Gemma, the Silver RPM Ranger."

"Follow the Eagle Zord." She instructed them. "It'll take you to a clearing where you can land."

The Falcon Zord circled around, maintaining a pursuit course, obviously preparing to intercept if they did anything other than head to the landing zone. Gem followed the Eagle Zord at a safe distance, but couldn't help grinning widely. Looking to his sister, he could tell she was just as excited. They hadn't just found out that the Animarium was real, within minutes; they were actually going to be setting foot on the floating island they had only heard of in story books.

Meanwhile, over in Vegas, Dillon and Adam took Chrissie down the hall towards his room. He saw the way she had her arms wrapped around herself, chewing her lip nervously. He put a hand on her cheek softly.

"He's really in there?" She asked him. "He really got out alright?"

"He's alive." Adam assured her. "He was really badly affected by seeing you taken away, but that's all in the past."

"I can still remember everything they did to me." Chrissie whispered softly, pulling away from him a little. "All that stuff is still inside me. I have that circuitry is still in my head."

"Dr. K is sending over all the files on removing the control software to the medical personnel." He informed her. "Now the conduit's gone, you won't need to worry about being controlled, but just to be on the safe side, they'll give you the treatment. The rest of your implants are always going to be a part of you."

"I don't know about you, but I can see some advantages." Adam told her. "From now on, I'll be asking you to open the tough jars."

"I suppose there is something to be said about not needing a can opener anymore." She replied in a sigh. "I just don't know how he's going to react."

"There's one way to find out." Dillon told her. "I'll leave the two of you to it."

With that, he turned and left the corridor, leaving them to it. Chrissie looked to the door to his room sadly.

"What if he doesn't accept me?" She asked him. "It's been two years..."

"I'll be right here with you." Adam assured her, kissing her softly. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She replied. With that, Adam activated the door. It slid open, at which she rounded the door slowly. Jonny was playing quietly with his games console, as silent as he had been since her disappearance. Chrissie couldn't contain herself and tears started to run down her face. In the two years since she had last seen him, he had grown a little, but to her, it was still her little boy.

"Jonny." She whispered gently. The little boy froze immediately as he heard her voice. The control pad slipped from his hand, and he turned slowly, seeing her standing in the room. His face was filled with a combination of terror and disbelief. It hurt to see him like this. "Jonny it's me!"

He started trembling, not knowing what to do. Adam came into view, kneeling next to his son and grabbing his arm gently, turning him to face him.

"It's not a dream Jonny; it's really your mom." He told his son, nodding gently. "She's really home."

"Jonny?" She asked him nervously, approaching him. Jonny hid his face as she came over towards him. "Jonny, what's the matter?"

"Jonny, your mom's come back." Adam told him. "Aren't you going to welcome her back?"

"Jonny, the things that took me away are gone. Your dad destroyed them all." She told him. "I'm back for good. No one's going to take me away again."

"W...w..." He started to stammer. Adam's eyes opened wide as he heard this. It was the first time he had heard his son even attempt to speak since he had been found in the ruins of their old house. He reached out, touching his mother a few times, prodding her to make sure she was real. She looked at him a little worried.

"Jonny, I'm fine." She assured him. "I'm back now, and I have no intention of going anywhere."

He still seemed reluctant, looking between his mother and father, confused and frightened. Adam could see tears in his eyes, and he suddenly got a thought.

"Jonny, is this about what happened?" He asked him. "Do you feel badly about the fact your mom got taken?" He nodded.

"You didn't." Chrissie sighed as she caught on to what Adam was suggesting. Jonny just sobbed a little. "Jonny, you should never feel badly about that. I told you to hide. I told you to stay safe."

"B...b...but..." He started to whimper.

"Jonny, knowing you were safe is the only thing that kept me going. If I didn't have that...I'd never have had anything to hold on to." She told him.

"You don't hate me?" He asked, looking between them. Adam suddenly realised what the problem was, why he hadn't spoken since the night she was taken. He couldn't bring himself to talk about that night. He had lost his mother, and he blamed himself for the fact she was gone. Because she had hidden him instead of getting herself out, she had been taken from their lives. He obviously blamed himself for that happening, and worried that if he told his father what had happened, that he would turn his back on him. Adam turned his son to face him.

"We could never hate you." He assured his son. "You can't possibly think that for one second. You are the most precious thing in the world to us."

"I made the decision to keep you safe. It's a mom's job." Chrissie told him. "Even knowing what would happen, if I could go back, I wouldn't change a single thing."

Jonny leapt into her arms, throwing his arms around her neck tightly and held her, weeping into her shoulder. Chrissie stroked his back comfortingly as she allayed the one fear she'd had since being freed from Semtex's control. He accepted that she had returned to him, and she now had her husband and her son back in her life. She finally felt like what Dillon had told him was true. Perhaps she could return to her life after all.

Meanwhile, out in the main street of the underground city beneath Area 51, the party was already in full swing. As Dillon arrived back, Flynn handed him a beer.

"So how are Chrissie and Adam?" Flynn asked him. Dillon shook his head.

"I'm not sure." He replied. "I'm confident they'll be alright in time though."

"So how do you feel about the fact we get to go home soon?" Flynn asked him. "I can't wait to see Sam. I know she showed me that footage of her last scan, but I really want to share this with her."

"I always did feel bad about rushing out on Summer so soon after finding out." Dillon admitted. "I know these missions are important, but..."

"Hey guys, are you enjoying things here?" Scott asked them as he arrived with Tommy. "This party is off the hook!"

"Off the hook?" Dillon asked him a little disbelievingly. "Seriously, does anyone still say that?"

"I've been in contact with Corinth; Mike's bringing out the construction crew in the morning." Tommy informed them. "It'll take a while, but we're hoping to rebuild the city to its former glory."

"I'm sure Kira's looking forward to getting out of here and back into her old place." Flynn commented. "Not to mention rebuilding her record company building."

"Well that's kind of bittersweet. We need to find out how many of her acts are still around." Tommy told them.

"Did she get her voice back?" Dillon asked him.

"Not yet." Tommy replied. "I'm just looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet for a few days."

He saw the looks on the RPM Ranger's faces and immediately his expression fell.

"She's standing right behind me isn't she?" He asked them. Just then, a hard punch in the side informed him his suspicion was right as Kira sat next to him, draping his arm over her shoulders. Emma and Frank came into view, sitting with them.

"Well just before her voice gave out, she did promise us a higher allowance." Frank informed him.

"Yeah, and she said she'd forget about grounding us." Emma added. "After all, we did save her life and everything."

Tommy looked to his wife, their eyes connecting, before turning back to their kids.

"Nice try kids." He warned them. "Just because your mom's lost her voice, don't think we aren't going to talk about this later."

"Well if I could just pitch in, I think they did a really good job." Dillon told him.

"I think they'd make great Rangers some day." Flynn added with an impressed look on his face. "I'd say it's in the family."

"Well they'll have to work off their punishment first." Tommy told him. "After all, they have to remember that part of being a Ranger is using their heads and not rushing into trouble!"

Just then, Scott got up from his seat and made his way over to a pile of crates stacked up by a store. The others looked at him as he did so, not sure what he was looking at. He started wiping a layer of dust off an insignia on the side of the crate.

"The Macha Group?" He gasped, seeing the insignia. "This address is local!"

"They had a building in the middle of the city." Tommy told him. "When we evacuated, we managed to ship out a load of weapons..."

"Is anyone from the Macha Group still here?" He asked them. Tommy shrugged.

"I would have to check the database." He informed him. "I'm sure someone will still be around."

"Why are you so interested in this company?" Dillon asked him. Scott sighed as he reminded himself that he hadn't told them.

"Alphabet Soup wasn't a Government facility. It was run by a private corporation." Scott informed them.

"Alphabet Soup?" Tommy asked him. "I've heard the stories from the supermarket tabloids...."

"It was a lot more than an urban myth. Three of our friends were raised in Alphabet Soup." Scott informed them. "The Macha Group ran it."

"So what difference does it make?" Flynn asked him. "Either way, Dr. K was still kidnapped."

"Charisma gave her a file relating to Alphabet Soup." Scott told them. "She knows who she really is."

"So you want to dig this up?" Dillon asked him.

"You don't get it, she knows her real name. She has her birth certificate." Scott stated. "Guys, she had her parents' names. This might be a lead to figuring out what happened to her."

Meanwhile, at the Animarium, Gem brought the jet down into a gentle landing by a clearing. As the Eagle Zord circled overhead, the Yellow Wild Force Ranger leapt out, landing by the vehicle. She turned towards the jet as the door opened and Gem and Gemma stepped out.

"Move slowly!" She warned them, her Eagle Sword at the ready.

"We received the distress signal." Gemma assured her. "We're here to help."

The Red Wild Force Ranger arrived beside her a short time later, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Ease up a little Taylor." He told her. "Sorry about this, we're all pretty jumpy up here."

"All?" Gem asked him. "You mean you and the other Rangers?" He asked them. Taylor and Cole both de-morphed at this point, approaching them. The Red Ranger approached them slowly. He looked to be fast approaching his thirties, but his build was still incredible, the result of his lifestyle in the jungles of the Animarium. His uniform was a little worse for wear, bearing a lot of damage, and a little faded. His arms bore many scars from battle.

"My name's Cole." He told them. "Welcome to the Animarium. This is my friend Taylor."

Taylor looked around the same age as him, with long blonde hair that she tied back into a tight pony tail; she too looked rather battle weary.

"The Wild Zords are still active?" Gem asked them. "We heard the Animarium disappeared."

"They must have read Alyssa's books." Cole surmised. In the time after their tenure as Rangers, Alyssa had become a kindergarten teacher as had always been her dream. However, the kids had loved all her stories so much; she had been encouraged to write some of them down. She had found moderate success as a children's writer, telling the fantastic tales of the Animarium.

"We never believed it was anything more than a story." Gemma told them as she looked around. "I never would have dreamed I'd actually end up here."

"Come, we should get moving to the camp." Cole told them. "Merrick and Princess Shayla will want to meet you."

"So what happened here?" Gem asked them. "What's with the clouds?"

"When Venjix attacked, the earth suffered great harm. The pollution brought on by the factories revived some of the ancient Orgs." Taylor informed them as they led them through the jungle. "With the Orgs back, Princess Shayla brought the Animarium back and found us, giving us back our powers. Those of us she could anyway."

"The Orgs over ran the forces of Venjix in this area, but the pollution from his factories strengthens them. So they enslaved the city of Turtle Cove, forcing the humans to pollute the world. Now the clouds have engulfed everything. Only the Animarium's defensive magic prevents the clouds taking hold here too."

"We evacuated as many people as we could, but the Orgs are too strong." Taylor told them sadly as they arrived at a sandstone temple. There, they found a man in dark trousers, with a silver and blue jacket, talking with a beautiful dark-haired woman in a flowing white dress.

"Oh, you must be the ones who came to answer our call for help!" Princess Shayla began. "Greetings. I'm..."

"Princess Shayla!" Gem and Gemma called out together excitedly. Princess Shayla looked a little confused that they seemed to know who she was.

"They read Alyssa's books." Cole explained.

"We're here to help you liberate Turtle Cove for good." Gemma told her. "It will be n honour to fight with the warriors of the Animarium."

"I'm glad you're so enthusiastic." Merrick told them casually as he approached them, shaking their hands. "There's plenty of fighting to go around."

"So where are the others?" Gemma asked them, looking around at the three Rangers. "We heard there were six of you."

"That's one thing we hadn't explained yet." Cole told them. "When Princess Shayla called us back, she didn't manage to reach us all in time."

"Danny, the Black Wild Force Ranger was in an accident in New Tech during the Big One of 2006." Taylor told them. "He's alive, but he was in no fit state to take up his old mantle again."

"What about the other two?" Gemma asked them. Merrick let out a sad sigh. Taylor turned away, unable to look at them as he prepared to tell them.

"We lost them shortly after we returned to Turtle Cove. The Orgs were just too strong." Merrick sighed regretfully. "Alyssa and Max are dead."


	12. The Next Org War

Scott, Flynn and Dillon bid the survivors of Las Vegas a fond farewell as they finished loading up the APC for their trip back to Corinth. Emma and Frank were muttering about how unfair life was as they performed the somewhat futile task of washing the vehicle before it made its way out into the desert, just a part of their punishment for running off on their own into the city.

Scott was a little lost in his thoughts as he loaded up his kit, awaiting Tommy returning with any information he had on the Macha group. All he knew was that they had an office in Vegas before the attacks, but since it was a multi-national corporation, that wasn't really much of a lead. Flynn came out from under the vehicle.

"Do you really have to check it every time?" Scott asked him. "Flynn, it's an armoured transport. It's designed to take sustained shelling; I doubt anything the desert could throw at it would cause it any real harm."

"What can I say, my dad always taught me to be thorough." Flynn responded with a shrug. "So are we almost ready to go?"

"Almost." Dillon replied as he arrived, carrying some provisions. "Tommy said he was coming with the files you asked for."

Almost on cue, Tommy, Kira, Adam and Chrissie arrived. Jonny was holding his mother's hand tightly, something that was a little unusual for a kid his age, but given the circumstances, they could understand his reluctance to be separated from Chrissie, even a little. Tommy handed over a disk to Scott.

"We found three warehouse packers, two cleaners and a company driver among the survivors who used to work for the Macha Group here." He informed Scott. "We interviewed them, but they didn't have too much to say. They were just low-level workers for the legitimate side of the business. They didn't even seem to know anything about the Alphabet Soup programme."

"Well, nothing that wasn't in the National Enquirer." Adam added as Scott put the disk away in his pocket. "Sorry we couldn't find anything more concrete."

"It's alright, I really appreciate the effort." Scott replied. "So I guess this is it then."

"We'll keep in contact." Tommy assured them as his kids finally finished with their task and returned to his side. Kira held them both wordlessly, still resting her throat to help her regain her voice more quickly. She smiled and shook hands with each of them in turn. "Who knows, maybe once the rebuild's finished and we start building some transport links, we can swing by and see what Corinth is like?"

"We'd really like that." Flynn chipped in. "By then I'll have joined the parent club."

"The world can never have too many Ranger kids." Tommy said, playfully ruffling Frank's hair to his annoyance. "Even if they do cause us more than a few sleepless nights."

"Anyway, we should really be making moves." Dillon told them. "With the way Scott drives, by the time we get home Sam's kid will have graduated." Scott just hit his shoulder at this jibe about his driving. The two got along well, so it was all good-natured, but they were still competitive about who drove the fastest. They climbed into the vehicle, firing up the engine, before starting to pull out of the base. Tommy and the others all watched them go, smiling as they looked forward to the future of their city.

Meanwhile, over at the Animarium, Gem and Gemma had been sitting for some time as Princess Shayla filled them in on everything that had been happening since the attacks. It was an upsetting tale. Ever since their tenure as Rangers, the Wild Force had dispersed and sought their place in the world, believing their Ranger days to be in the past. Merrick had travelled the world, seeking peace and helping where he could. He mentioned something in Russia to do with the original Pink Ranger, but other than that, he had found a measure of peace and quiet up until the Wolf Zord had called to him, telling him that he would soon be needed back in Turtle Cove.

Danny and Max had also travelled the world, together with a woman named Kendall that Danny had met working in a florist. Once they were finished with their world tour, Danny and Kendall married and moved to New Tech, while Max returned to Turtle Cove. It was some time after that Danny had his accident. The tragedy was that in addition to being laid up in a hospital, he had lost his wife and his infant daughter Elizabeth. Since communications had gone down, they could no longer contact New Tech, and so they had no idea if Danny was among those evacuated to the SPD bunker or not.

Max, Alyssa and Taylor had all been in the city when the attacks came, while Cole had opted to remain on the Animarium where he felt most at home... When the Animarium had descended, they had all taken up their morphers again without hesitation. Unfortunately though, by the time they had, the Orgs had already resurfaced. Unable to deal with both Venjix and the Orgs, they had been forced into retreat. By the time the Orgs had taken hold, they were already been too weakened. Alyssa and Max had fallen in battle not long afterwards.

Gem made his way down to the lake, finding Cole sitting by the edge of it, skipping stones. He made his way over.

"I'm really sorry to hear about what happened to your friends." Gem told him sympathetically. "I used to love all the old stories of the Animarium."

"Alyssa was a great writer." Cole agreed.

"We promise we'll help you guys however we can." Gem assured him. Just then, he heard a couple of mournful cries from the forest as the sun started to set. Cole looked up to see Gem looking confused.

"That's the Wild Zords." He informed him. "They're connected to our spirits; they can feel what we can. They do that every night now."

"They miss their friends." Gem concluded. Cole nodded in response.

"They still come out from time to time, but not as often as they did." He replied sadly. "The Deer Zord doesn't even come out to listen to Shayla sing anymore. Since Alyssa..."

He wiped his eyes with his wrist as he found himself unable to continue. Gem sat with him, putting his hand on The Red Ranger's shoulder.

"Will they fight?" Gem asked. "We're probably going to need all the help we can get."

"Like I said, they're connected to our spirits." Cole reiterated. "The ones belonging to Taylor, Merrick and I are still ready to go, but the others can't be called. They need to find others they trust."

"Well that's still a lot of Zords." Gem assured him. "Gemma and I can bring in the Mach Megazord to help."

"Merrick still has the Predazord." Cole stated with a shrug. "I guess when all's said and done; all we can do is try."

"So what do you know about the Orgs down below?" Gem asked him.

"Master Org is back." Cole explained. "The Orgs found a new host to put him in. He consumed an Org heart not long afterwards."

"Do you know...?"

"We have no idea who he was before." Cole told him. "All I know is that it isn't good news for us. We managed to defeat him once before, but this time I really don't know. He seems so much stronger now."

"Then we'll fight even harder." Merrick told him, arriving behind them and putting a hand on Cole's shoulder. "Princess Shayla wants to see us."

"I guess that means we're about to see what your new Zords are made of." He told him. "Come on Merrick, take us to her."

As they walked away, Gem tugged on Cole's jacket gently, before whispering in his ear.

"They seemed pretty intense before." He whispered. "Are he and Princess Shayla...?"

"No, we're not." Merrick interrupted him, causing Gem to look a little sheepish. He smiled. "We were in a relationship once, but it was a long time ago. A lot has happened since then."

In another part of the Animarium, Taylor found Gemma looking at Hicks' dog tags longingly, stroking them with her thumb as she read his name over and over again. She couldn't help her attention being brought back to the second tag, the one on its own short length of chain in a separate loop on the main chain. It was the one that was meant to be detached and used as a toe tag in the event the soldier wearing them fell in battle.

Until she had heard the story of what had happened to the Wild Force Rangers, she had never really given much thought to her team-mates' mortality. Sure, she had always logically known it was a possibility, but so far they had come through every battle alive. She couldn't imagine what she would do, how she would feel if she ever had to face the fact she would never see any of her team-mates again, or if anything happened to Hicks. Taylor coughed a little to arouse her attention.

"I'm guessing those aren't yours." She surmised. Gemma nodded in response.

"They belong to someone very precious to me." Gemma informed her. "He gave them to me when I left on my first mission. They remind me I have something to fight for."

Taylor sat next to her and reached inside her jacket, pulling out a slightly faded, red beret.

"I had someone like that in my life once." Taylor informed her, taking a deep breath. "He was just as stubborn and pig-headed as me. When I first met him, he bugged the hell out of me. In time we realised the reason we butted heads so much was because we were nuts about each other."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?" Gemma asked her.

"We had a stupid fight." She admitted. "He has a job over in New Tech. I was trying to convince him to transfer out here and we both let our tempers get the better of us. The attacks came after he left. I've not seen him since. I don't even know if he's still alive. All I keep thinking about when I think about him is the fact our last words were spoken in anger."

Gemma didn't know what to tell her. She had known the pain of being separated from Hicks, not knowing if she'd ever see him again, to tell him what he meant to her. She wanted to help Taylor, but her words would hold no comfort. She didn't know if he was still alive, or if Taylor would have the same second chance she did with Hicks.

"We're ready for you now." Princess Shayla announced as she arrived. "It's time."

Meanwhile, on the ground, beneath the Animarium, two strangers arrived. One of them hefted his weapon onto his shoulder as he surveyed the city.

"I think we can safely say that this is the place." The first said as he surveyed the horizon.

"Can you...?"

"I can't smell anything over the stench of this pollution." He interrupted his compatriot. "However, I am confident we will find her."

Just then, they looked up, seeing the Rangers descending from the Animarium in a number of brightly coloured lights, shining through even the thick black smog engulfing the city.

"We don't have much time." He told his comrade. "Come!"

With that, they ran off in the direction of the landing site, eager to do battle.

The Rangers landed deep within the city, looking around the ruins. Because of their suits, they were protected from the toxic air, and could see through the smog far further than they would be able to unaided.

"Where do we go from here?" Gemma asked.

"The main factory is due north of here." Cole informed them, bringing his Lion Claw forth and getting it ready for action. "Stay sharp out here."

"The tox scans are showing the air is life-threatening to humans." Gem added, performing a quick analysis. "How does anyone live down here?"

"The slaves Master Org uses to work the factory are kept indoors." Taylor answered him. "They're too useful to him alive. The fact they can't live for more than a few hours out here just discourages them from trying to escape."

"At least we don't need to worry about innocent bystanders." Merrick responded, drawing his Lunar Cue. "I doubt it'll be too long before we see company."

Just then, dozens of Putrids flooded the streets, surrounding them in all directions. A couple of Orgs stepped into view, confronting them. One looked like it was built from electrical cabling, its chest shaped like a generator. The other was formed out of an old pick-up truck. Both of them had two horns on their heads.

"So those are Orgs." Gem commented. "They don't look so tough."

"Appearances can be deceptive." Taylor told them, bringing out her Eagle Zord. "Come on guys; let's send these things back to the earth!"

The Rangers battled fiercely, driving their way northward. Clearing himself enough space to get a look around, Merrick cast a glance in the direction of his new allies. He had to admit being impressed by the twins. Despite never having faced Orgs before, they seemed to be holding their own well. Gem destroyed a load of Putrids, while Gemma kept the Pick-up Org busy.

"Let me give you a hand!" Merrick called out, swinging his cue, bringing up a field of green energy which held it in place. "Lunar Break!"

Gemma shrieked in excitement as she watched it explode, raining parts all over the street.

"That was awesome!" She yelled. "Let us get one!"

"Cole, Taylor, hold the Putrids off the twins!" Merrick instructed them, getting back to the battle. Gem and Gemma destroyed the other Org with their Sky Shift Blazers.

Just as they were about to finish the last of them though, two more Orgs appeared. They were different though. They were both heavily armoured in a hideous carapace, with sharp talons and powerful forms. One of them had a pointed head, with dark eyes glaring out from it, and massive jaws, filled with jagged, razor sharp fangs. The other was covered in lighter coloured fur, with shining yellow eyes, and yellow, hooked teeth.

"Two more of them!" Gem called out. Cole grabbed his arm as he prepared to attack though.

"Gem, be careful!" He warned him, pointing to the two new arrivals. "They only have one horn. They're Duke Orgs!"

Over in Corinth, Dr. K was working on something when the communications screen burst into life. Turning towards it, she saw Dillon appearing on the screen.

She rushed over, forgetting all about her previous project as she saw him.

"Dr. K, this is Dillon checking in." He began, shifting in his seat a little. Dr. K could tell he was trying to see if Summer was in the background. She rolled her eyes.

"I take it you're calling to tell me you're on your way." Dr. K surmised. Dillon nodded in response.

"We gave Tommy the communications frequency." He informed her. "He should be contacting Chas and Hicks in the near future."

"Dillon, stop fidgeting, Summer isn't here." She chastised him as he tried yet again to look round him. "Tenaya and Ziggy took her out for the day. She said she wanted to enjoy a good meal while her stomach is steady for a change."

"Morning sickness?" Dillon asked her. Dr. K nodded, resisting the urge to correct him on his medical terminology. Summer had indeed been having a lot of trouble with nausea, at the most inconvenient times of the day. "I'm sorry I missed her."

"I'll pass along your greeting." Dr. K assured him. "Thank you for the report."

With that, she cut the communications, aware that Scott was likely driving. She knew he would contact her when he could. It was unfortunate that they had been forced to use the APC instead of a jet, meaning it would be at least a week until they'd be back. It was unfortunate that Summer had been out when he contacted her. She knew she wanted to hear word from Dillon as much as she longed to hear from Scott. In the end though, they all knew that was the sacrifice they had agreed to make. All they could do was get by however they could.

Back in Turtle Cove, the battle had taken a hard turn for the worse. Since the Duke Orgs had shown up, Putrids were attracted to their location in greater numbers than before. Now, there appeared to be no way out. They were completely surrounded.

"Cole!" Merrick yelled loudly as he watched Cole slump to the ground unconscious, de-morphing as he did so under the assault of the furred Duke Org. He tried to help him, but there were too many Putrids in the way.

Taylor brought out her wings, soaring toward her fallen team-mate only for the other Duke Org to leap onto her, dragging her to the ground with its jaws. She too de-morphed and succumbed to the attack.

"Guys, we have to get out of here!" Gem roared as he smashed his way through some more Putrids. "There are too many of them!"

Gem, Gemma and Merrick all circled around, standing back-to-back as their opponents surrounded them. Just then, a power blast carved them an escape route. They turned in time to see a brightly-coloured, single-horned Org slicing a path for them with a pair of knives.

"Another one?" Gem Yelled. "That's all we need!"

"We're here to help!" Jindrax told them. "Follow me!"

Looking up a nearby staircase, he saw the unmistakable form of Zen-aku, slicing down Putrids and smiled.

"Trust me guys, they're friends!" Merrick assured them. "Let's go!"

"What about Taylor and Cole?" Gemma asked him.

"We can't help them now." Merrick told them. "Come on! We have to regroup!"

With that, Gem and Gemma fled, calling forth their Zords as they did so. The small party reluctantly took off, leaving their comrades behind.

A little while later, Taylor came to, finding herself chained to a wall. The room was in complete darkness, save for a small spotlight, centred over Cole, who was standing, stripped to the waist, with his wrists chained together. His body was covered in injuries, informing her that he had been mistreated since their capture.

"Cole!" She screamed, struggling in vain to get free. "Cole!"

"I'm glad you're finally awake." She heard a deep voice. Just then, the lights came up. She saw that she was in the main control room of the factory. The two Duke Orgs from before were standing either side of a throne, while a prone, female prisoner was lying in chains at his feet. Sitting on the throne was the latest incarnation of Master Org.

He was wearing long, flowing white robes in a sick parody of a righteous saviour. He had a single huge horn growing from the top of his head, and a staff resting in his hands. His face was almost human, though pale, and covered in light blue veins. Taylor strained her eyes to see the prisoner at his feet.

"Toxica?" She asked softly. Master Org just laughed.

"She may have been once. Now she's a pale reflection of her former self." He told her. "She's even more pathetic than a human. She's an Org who tries to be a human."

He opened his hand, presenting some seeds to her. The furred Org took them in a clawed hand, and stepped into the light, followed closely by the other. Seeing them in more detail, she could see that the furred Org was female, and had white fur. The other had dark blue, almost black skin, and had gills on the sides of its head. The male Org grabbed Cole, turning him to face Taylor and forcing him to his knees.

"Do you have any last words for each other?" Master Org asked them. Taylor looked into Cole's eyes, seeing the same courage and defiance she always had.

"Taylor, whatever happens, stay strong!" He beckoned her. "Don't let them see you weak."

With that, the female Org took the seeds, forcing his mouth open and forced them inside, clamping its hand across his nose and mouth as he tried to spit them out. Cole struggled in vain to break free, but they were too strong. Eventually he was forced to swallow the seeds. As they released him, he fell to the ground, clutching his stomach in agony.

"What have you done to him?" Taylor screamed. Master Org just pointed to the Red Ranger.

"I just wanted you to see what fate awaits you." He told her. Taylor watched as he thrashed and convulsed on the floor. Cole stared at his hands as they shifted into claws. His skin darkened and started to form into an armoured carapace, while pale yellow fur erupted from his face as it transformed into a muzzle. His eyes became bright yellow and feline, and his hair grew into a wild main. Finally, she watched as a single horn grew from his forehead.

"Max?" She asked, looking to the Shark-like Org. She turned to look to the other. "Alyssa?"

"You spent a lot of your time and energy fighting Orgs Soaring Eagle." He taunted her as the three creatures approached her. She turned her face from them and forced her lips together as she realised what was coming next. "Now you get to become one."


	13. Wild at Heart

Summer was sitting in the waiting room of a doctor's office, waiting to be seen. Since she had found out she was pregnant, she had been examined by Dr. K, but she had yet to go through the routine of setting up something long-term to oversee the birth. Tenaya came down the corridor, handing her a bottle of water as she arrived.

"Ziggy's taken Alex to the day care room." She informed her sister-in-law. "Honestly, I'm sure it's more for his benefit than Alex's"

"I'm sure it is." She replied quietly, taking a sip. "He is only a couple of months old."

"We're ready for you now Mrs. Landsdown." A nurse informed her. Summer looked to Tenaya, who smiled warmly.

"I'll be in there with you." She stated, taking her hand. Summer and Tenaya went into the examination room, finding a young doctor taking down some notes. He looked like he could be younger than Summer, with a fresh, clean-shaven, handsome face. He had jet-black hair, and bright green eyes, hidden behind designer glasses. He looked up to her and smiled.

"Please take off your jacket and make yourself comfortable." He instructed her. Summer did as she was told, making her way to the bench. "So who do you have for moral support?"

"I'm her sister-in-law." Tenaya told him. "My name's Tenaya."

"Well, today all I really want to do is just give you a basic check-up and ask a few questions about your overall health." He assured her. "Do you smoke?"

"No." Summer told him as he started to strap on a blood-pressure monitor.

"How much do you drink?" He asked her as he started it up. Summer shrugged.

"Nothing since I found out." She assured him. He just smiled.

"Well I wouldn't judge you if you did." He told her. "There are many studies which say a glass every now and again may be good for the baby."

He checked the monitor, before taking off the arm band.

"Your blood pressure is a little high." He told her. Summer's eyes grew wider in worry as she heard this. He held up a hand. "It's probably nothing to worry about, there will be a little fluctuation, and I do watch the news, I am aware you haven't exactly had the most stress-free couple of months." He took out a stethoscope, beginning to listen to her chest.

"Would you say you're usually in good health?" He asked her. Summer nodded. "Are you aware of any family history of birth complications?"

"My dad told me he was about a month and a half premature." Summer replied.

"Well, so far I can't see anything to be overly worried about." He assured her. "I'd just like to take a blood sample, and then I'll ask a few more questions."

Meanwhile, over at the Animarium, Merrick, Gem and Gemma arrived, finding Princess Shayla preparing dressings. She had seen the battle in her fountain and knew it hadn't gone well. Zen-aku and Jindrax followed them, setting their weapons aside at the gates to the temple out of respect for their former foes' hospitality.

"Thanks for saving us." Merrick told them. "If you hadn't intervened..."

"We had to come." Jindrax told him.

"Why are you here?" Gemma asked him. "You're Orgs. Aren't you on Master Org's side?"

"We have made our own way in the world since the war." Zen-aku told her. "It has been too long Merrick."

"It has." He agreed. "I notice Toxica isn't with you. I'm guessing that has something to do with this."

"Master Org found us and kidnapped her almost two years ago." Jindrax explained. "I followed them here. Once I knew they were in Turtle Cove, I went looking for Zen-aku to help me free her."

"I was honoured to help." Zen-aku told him. "It has been so hard making our way in the world, being what we are. I could not allow her to suffer."

"How did Master Org come back?" Gem asked them. "I thought he was destroyed."

"Viktor Adler was laid to rest, and the Org heart was destroyed, but his spirit existed in a limbo state." Jindrax continued. "When the pollution caused by Venjix's factory strengthened his spirit enough to return to the world, he found someone whose heart was so filled with hatred and vengeance that he was able to make a deal with him."

"John Adler." Shayla sighed. Everyone looked at her, a little surprised. "Viktor Adler had a brother, John."

"How do you know that?" Gem asked her.

"After Viktor was destroyed, I had Alyssa find out if he had any next of kin who needed to be informed of his passing." Shayla told them. "After he was told what had happened, he was devastated. He had always been in his brother's shadow. He had some kind of breakdown when he found out he had died. He blamed the Rangers for destroying him."

"We didn't have a choice." Merrick told her.

"You know as well as I do that vengeance is blind." Zen-aku stated sagely. "He escaped from the mental hospital and went on the run. He tracked down Toxica and kidnapped her."

"Why take Toxica?" Gemma asked him.

"She can produce seeds." Jindrax answered. "Viktor swallowed seeds to imbue him with Org powers. He ambushed her and tortured her until she gave him what he wanted. After that, he took her with him."

"He forced her to create an Org heart for him." Zen-aku concluded. "He has consumed it, giving him the powers of a true Org."

"So we have to destroy him." Gem sighed sadly. "We can't free him."

"No, that is no longer possible." Zen-aku confirmed.

"So what about those other duke Orgs?" Gemma asked him. "Where did they come from?"

Jindrax got up and headed to the gate, picking up one of his daggers and bringing it to them. Gemma inspected it, noticing that it had blood on the blade.

"Orgs don't bleed." He told them. "Those are not true Orgs. They are humans possessed by Org powers."

"Kind of like when I was possessed by Zen-aku." Merrick concluded.

"One of them was a little like a white tiger." Gem commented. "The other was like a shark."

"It looks like Master Org has taken control of your friends." Zen-aku confirmed with a nod.

"Then none of us are safe!" Shayla gasped as she realised what this meant. "They have the Crystal Sabres, that means they can enter the Animarium without resistance!"

Almost on cue, they heard a few howls as the Wild Zords alerted them to danger. Looking up, they saw our fiery streaks flying through the air, before arcing around and descending sharply. The first hit the Animarium with a huge impact.

"He's launching a full offensive!" Merrick snapped. "They're here!"

Back in Corinth, Summer was just getting her t-shirt back on as the doctor finished with his notes.

"Well so far I can't see anything to worry about." He assured her. "Your blood pressure is a little high, so I'd like you to keep track of that for the next few weeks, and just try to relax a little more."

"I can try." Summer responded with a sigh. It wasn't really going to be easy to avoid stress in the current climate. With Dillon still on his way back from Vegas, and no idea when he would need to head out again, it was hardly the most stress-free circumstances for her to carry her child.

"I understand your worry." He told her. "If you have any trouble resting, I can recommend herbal tea, but let me know if trouble persists."

"So when do you want to see me again?" Summer asked him.

"Unless there's any trouble in the meantime, I won't need to see you until you're 12 weeks along, and then we can arrange a scan." He told her. "I'll make an appointment for you. You should receive your appointment card in the mail."

With that, Summer and Tenaya left the room. Tenaya stopped her just outside in the hall.

"So do you feel a bit better now?" She asked her.

"Yeah, my husband's miles away, and I'm going through this by myself." Summer moaned. "I'm pretty much on cloud nine."

"You know he'd be here if he could." Tenaya said soothingly, smiling at her. "I'm still here."

"That means a lot to me." Summer replied. "I guess this just wasn't what I was hoping for with my first kid."

Just then, Ziggy came back, carrying Alex.

"Are you ready to go?" Ziggy asked them. Tenaya just nodded.

"I don't know about you, but I could go for something to eat." Tenaya declared. "Suddenly I have a major need for ice-cream."

"Ice-cream sounds good." Summer agreed. "It's my treat."

Back at the Animarium, Merrick, Gem, Gemma, Zen-aku and Jindrax made their way to a clearing, finding the new Duke Orgs that were once their friends standing facing them. Merrick stepped forward, confronting them.

"Remember, we know who they are, but we can't afford to take them lightly." He reminded them.

"Give us the last Crystal Sabre." The Lion Org demanded in a savage growl. Merrick just shook his head.

"It isn't going to happen Cole." He said defiantly.

"Why would they want Danny's crystal Sabre?" Gem asked him. Merrick turned to face him.

"If they get Danny's sabre they'll be able to call the Bison and rhino Zords." He informed him. "Without those, they can't form any Megazords."

"Who needs Zords?" Cole taunted him. "We're Orgs now remember?"

With that, they each swallowed a growing seed, quickly growing to massive size. Merrick brought out his animal crystals.

"I hope that Megazord of yours is up to the task." He said to the twins. "Predazord, arise!"

Zen-aku and Jindrax realised that they were of little use in the Megazord battle, and retreated to a safe distance. Gem and Gemma called out the Mach Megazord, joining Merrick in the seemingly impossible battle.

"Good luck my friends!" Merrick called out as he rushed to the attack, tackling Alyssa and Max. Gem and Gemma rounded on Cole and Taylor, preparing for the newest battle for the Animarium.

Somewhere out in the wastes, Scott brought the APC to a halt, securing it for the night to get some rest. Flynn was sitting with Dillon in the back as he came in.

"I'm guessing you're thinking about Summer." He commented to the Black Ranger. Dillon just nodded.

"Dr. K said she had an appointment today." Dillon informed them. "She's having a check up to make sure everything's alright."

"I'm really looking forward to getting back to Sam." Flynn admitted. "It seems like ages since I've seen her."

"So have you thought about when you'd like to join the club?" Dillon asked Scott. The Red Ranger just shrugged.

"A lot of it depends on Sarah." He responded. "I mean, it is her body."

"But you have thought about it." Flynn reiterated.

"I would kind of like to start a family at some point." He admitted to them. "Of course I am a little worried about the kids inheriting her brains though. Can you imagine if your kid was smarter than you before they can walk?"

"Well in Dillon's case I think that'll be a given." Flynn teased him. Dillon just threw a can, narrowly missing his head.

"I wouldn't worry about it. They do say it's a kid's destiny to outshine their parents." Flynn said, a little more seriously. "Personally I'm looking forward to it. I would hate for my kids to live in my shadow."

"Not to mention that at some point we'll be living off our kids." Dillon mentioned.

"You know what they say, be nice to your kids." Flynn told them. "They pick your retirement home."

On the Animarium, the Predazord and the Mach Megazord were dashed to the ground. Cole and the others stood over them, poised to strike.

"This is pathetic! I can't understand how any of you thought you were a match for us!" Taylor taunted them.

"We don't have the power!" Merrick complained. "We can't match them!"

Just then, they all heard a massive roar. Looking up, they saw the Lion Zord.

"I thought the Wild Zords wouldn't fight." Gem commented.

"We managed to convince them it was the only way to get their friends back." Zen-aku replied, coming into view.

"It looks like this is a first." Jindrax added. "The Wild Zords are willing to work alongside Orgs."

With that, the Zords leapt into action, forming into the Isis and Wild Force Megazords before attacking their former masters. Merrick and the twins used the opportunity to regain their bearings.

"It looks like the sides are a little more even now!" Gemma called out.

The Isis Megazord hit the final strike, taking down the Shark Org. Jindrax watched at it started to shrink and change shape.

"Guys, check it out!" He called out, pointing to the fallen form of the Surging Shark. "He wasn't destroyed! The powers only destroy the Org element in them!"

"That's all I wanted to hear!" Merrick added, hitting his ultimate attack on the White Tiger Org. Alyssa shrank and returned to normal, unconscious on the floor. "Two down, two to go!"

Zen-aku used the Wild Force Megazord's Soul Beam to destroy the evil Org influence imprisoning Taylor. Cole turned on them, continuing to fight.

"It looks like this one's ours!" Gemma yelled. "Energy Bow!"

As the arrow blasted the last of the corrupted Rangers, taking him down, the allies quickly got out of their Zords, rushing to the aid of their friends. Merrick propped up Alyssa, shaking her gently as he tried to rouse her.

"Cole, speak to me!" Princess Shayla screamed as she arrived on the scene, checking on him. "Cole!"

Max started to stir, recovering consciousness to find Gem checking on him.

"How are you feeling?" Gem asked him. Max looked a little guilty.

"I'll be alright once I get a piece of Master Org." He told the Gold Ranger.

"My head's still pounding." Alyssa complained as she looked into Merrick's eyes sadly. "I can't believe we attacked you."

"You have nothing to feel guilty about." Merrick assured her, stroking her face gently. "I thought I'd lost you for good."

"Don't try to move too quickly." Gemma warned Taylor. "You've all taken a pretty good beating."

"We'll be fine." She replied, getting to her feet slowly.

"We need to act quickly." Cole responded. "By freeing us, Master Org's lost a lot of his power. We need to press the advantage before he can regroup."

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Shayla asked him. "Cole, you need to recover..."

"We need to do this." He interrupted her, looking up to the Wild Zords. "We owe it to the friends who worked so hard to get us free."

"It feels good to have the team back." Merrick added. "So one last time?"

"I think so." Cole replied as they lined up.

"Wild Access!" The team called together, forming the Wild Force once more. Gem and Gemma pulled out their morphers.

"RPM, Get in Gear!" They called out; joining their newfound friends for what they hoped would be the final battle to liberate Turtle Cove.


	14. Liberation of Turtle Cove

Some human slaves were dragged before Master Org in his factory by Putrids, being forced to their knees before him.

"It seems I overestimated my latest Orgs." He said in a low, menacing tone. Grabbing a chain, he pulled on it, yanking Toxica before him. "Make me more seeds."

"My friends are coming for me!" She replied defiantly as he stared at her battered, helpless form. "You will never be able to stop them!"

Master Org grabbed his staff, jamming it into her ribs, sending waves of burning pain coursing through her. Toxica screamed in agony as she thrashed wildly on the floor.

"You know how this will end. You know you are too weak to defy me for long!" He screamed at her.

"This time I don't need to defy you for long." She replied as he released her from her torment in a few pained, rasping gasps. She turned to glare at him hatefully. "This time I only need to hold out until they come!"

Master Org just rammed the staff into her gut, once again filling the halls of the factory with her screams.

Meanwhile, outside the factory, the Putrids patrolling the city around the factory all stopped, their attention drawn to the sky as the Isis Megazord and the Mach Megazord flew through the thick, enveloping clouds of pollution. The Mach Megazord launched a storm of power blasts into the innumerable masses as it came down.

"I know we're not meant..."

"...to escalate a battle." Gem and Gemma stated.

"But in this case, we'll make an exception!" Cole roared as the Isis Megazord launched the Final Strike into them. Merrick's Predazord slammed into the ground, scattering more of them with massive swipes, closely followed by the Wild Force Megazord, in this instance piloted by Zen-aku and Jindrax.

"Clear the way!" Cole instructed them. Merrick just smiled.

"You read my mind!" He replied as the four Megazords all rushed forward, smashing through the legions of opponents as they went.

Back in Corinth, Summer was sitting alone, chewing her fingernails as she waited for the blood pressure monitor to take her reading. Sarah just coughed to attract her attention as she came in.

"I sincerely doubt your blood pressure will have changed much in the last ten minutes." She told the Yellow Ranger. Everyone knew how stressed Summer was getting about the pregnancy, and of going through it alone. "Of course since you are worrying about it so much, it is possible it could have gone up."

"How am I not meant to worry?" Summer asked her, unfastening the armband as the reading came out, indicating as she had theorised that her blood pressure was still high. "I still haven't heard anything from Dillon. It's been weeks since he left."

"Summer, I wish I could make you feel better about that, but the point is moot. Anything I say to you would be only a theory, it would have no basis in fact." She replied as comfortingly as she could. "All I can tell you is that the signal on their tracking beacon is still active."

Just then, Tenaya came into the room, looking around frantically.

"Has anyone seen Alex's bear?" She asked them. Summer had bought him a tiny yellow bear on the week he had been born. Now, he went virtually everywhere with it. "He won't sleep without it."

"The last time I saw it was when I was having some warm milk." Summer told her. "Try the sitting area."

Tenaya nodded and went over to the couch, breathing a sigh of relief as she moved a cushion, finding the bear.

"Thanks, you have no idea how much he'd have screamed if I tried to put him down without this." Tenaya replied, before rushing back to her room. Summer watched her go, with a bit of a dreamy look in her eyes.

"She makes it all look so easy." Summer whispered gently.

"If memory serves, that wasn't always the case." Sarah reminded her. "You do remember how she was the first few weeks don't you?"

"I guess it's something all mothers go through." Summer sighed, thinking about how difficult Tenaya had found things at first. For a long time, she had become distressed and frustrated when she couldn't tell what he needed or wanted. She was constantly overwhelmed by the demands placed on her by her newborn son, and pressured to be a perfect mother to him instantly, to the point she had convinced herself she couldn't cope. Now though, with the help of her family, she had started to become accustomed to her new life. "I just wish there was someone I could ask about my own upbringing."

"Summer..."

"I know I've made amends with my parents, I know they love me, but even they would admit that they never raised me. They were never around." Summer reminded her. "I was brought up by Ten's mom until she was kicked out, and then Andrews took over. Both of them are dead."

"I believe it is customary for expectant mothers to consult their parents for advice on these matters." Sarah remarked thoughtfully. "However, you do know two people who are currently raising young children. Unless you've forgotten, Brie and Tenaya are both in that situation."

"I guess you're right." Summer sighed, thinking about it. "It has been a while since I visited Brie anyway."

"Perhaps tomorrow you could..."

"Hold that thought!" Summer warned her, before clamping a hand over her mouth and rushing from the room in the direction of one of the toilets, almost bowling over Hicks and Vasquez as she went. Vasquez looked to Sarah, laughing a little.

"She's pretty regular isn't she?" Vasquez remarked. "Kind of like Old Reliable with vomit."

"You shouldn't laugh Vasquez." Hicks told her. "That could be you some day."

"That's hardly on the cards." She told him. "I'm missing a vital component in that little equation."

"What can I do for you?" Sarah asked them. "I doubt you're here to discuss Summer's morning sickness."

"We're here to ask when you're expecting Scott and the others back." Hicks replied honestly. "We were hoping they'd be here for the VV day celebration."

Since the renovations on the city were completed, and the citizens had been largely re-housed back into permanent accommodation and had the opportunity to heal many of their injuries from the final battle, Chas was keen to have a city-wide holiday to allow them to celebrate the end of the war and honour the fallen. He had opted for the name "Victory over Venjix Day" or simply VV day for short.

"I don't know. At their current rate, I expect Scott, Flynn and Dillon to be back in time." She said with as much certainty as she could. "I still haven't received any transmissions from Gem and Gemma as to when we can expect them to return."

"It's just that Chas was intending to honour you all for your part in the war effort." He explained. "I guess he was hoping you'd all be there to receive the awards in person."

"You can be assured, if we can be there, we will." Sarah said with a smile. "I'll let you know nearer the time."

Back in Turtle cove, Master Org was still busy torturing Toxica, trying to force her to create some power seeds when the wall was smashed open. The Predazord's fist was pulled free, leaving the opening clear as Gem and Gemma fired a few blasts inside, destroying the putrids holding the slaves in place. The Gold and Silver Rangers leapt inside, guiding the prisoners back below before the smog pouring into the room could overtake them and sealing the doors.

"It's over John!" Gemma screamed. "There's no way you can defeat all of us!"

"You meddling fools, what right did you have to get involved in this?" He snapped at them. "This is none of your concern! This was between me and the Wild force!"

"Vengeance is blind. Don't you see what you've done?" Cole asked as the Wild Force Rangers arrived. "The city is in ruins! The air is toxic! There's no telling when we'll be able to make it habitable again!"

"I saved the city!" Master Org screamed at him. "No one else could have defeated Venjix. Only the power of my Orgs could drive him out.

"You can't believe that surely?" Taylor asked him. "The people ARE the city! They're imprisoned below, unable to go outside in case the poison gets them. You force them to work in your factory to produce the very poison that keeps them prisoner. You haven't saved them, you've enslaved them!"

"Enough!" He snapped, interrupting her. "You can't lie to me, you destroyed any illusions I had about you when you murdered my brother!"

"Your brother knew what he did was wrong." Zen-aku said as he stepped into the room with Jindrax. "He was grateful to be released. The Wild Force rangers saved him as much as they saved everyone else. Your brother found peace..."

"In DEATH!" John interrupted him. "He found peace in death!"

"Let her go Master Org." Jindrax stated, levelling a blade in his direction. "It's over!"

"It is over when I say it is." He sneered. "She held on under the foolish impression that you would save her. Since I will not get any more seeds from her, perhaps I should grant her the same peace you granted my brother."

With that, he pressed the staff into her heart. Toxica screamed in agony, at which Jindrax sprinted across the room, slamming into Master Org, plunging his dagger up to the hilt into his abdomen. Master Org just smirked and swatted him away with an incredible power.

"We can't risk hitting Toxica!" Cole stated. "We need to destroy the Org Heart! If we don't, he'll just regenerate!"

"Sky Shift Blazers!" Gem and Gemma called out together, forming their weapons. Both of them placed their engine cells inside.

"You can't..."

"Don't worry, we know what we're doing!" Gem assured him. "Right sis?"

"You know it!" She called back. They both fired, blasting his horn. Master Org staggered away, allowing Zen-aku to slice through her chains, dragging her to safety.

"Lunar Break!" Merrick called out, powering up the Lunar Cue. He launched the attack, obliterating the Org, leaving only the heart, pulsating on the floor.

"We can't re-energise our engine cells in time." Gem told them as the others called out their weapons, realising that without Danny's Bison Axe, they couldn't form the Jungle Sabre. Just then, he heard a call within his heart. Looking down, he saw the axe appearing in his hand.

"The Bison has leant you his power." Cole told him. Gem ran over to join them, helping to form the massive weapon. Gem smiled as he took his place with them, placing a hand on Cole's shoulder. They prepared to destroy the heart as is was regenerating Master Org's body.

"Savage Slash!" They chorused together, unleashing their ultimate attack. The Org Heart was destroyed in a massive explosion which rocked the entire building.

"Boom!" Gem yelled excitedly, bouncing around and pumping his fist in the air. "That was awesome!"

"It really was." Max told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Danny would be proud."

"We have to free the prisoners." Cole ordered them. "We need to evacuate them to the Animarium until we can figure out what to do about this smog."

Later in the night, up in the Animarium, the rangers were all assembled around in the temple. Zen-aku and Jindrax were tending to Toxica's injuries following her long and brutal imprisonment. Princess Shayla arrived as Merrick finished with another of his stories.

"The refugees are all settled into the camp site." She told them. "They can stay in the meantime."

"So what are we going to do long term?" Merrick asked her. "It's not like they can stay forever."

"Well we had..."

"...a thought about that actually." Gem told them, showing them a transmitter he had built. "We managed to get a signal out to New Tech. They're sending a team to help rebuild the city."

"They'll also decontaminate the air." Gemma added. She smiled and looked up as a couple of jets came into view. "Speaking of which, here they are now!"

Taylor got off the rock she was sitting on, looking up at the jets as they descended. The loading doors opened, and Gemma noticed her expression falling as the team of strangers poured out of the vehicle.

"Welcome to the Animarium!" Princess Shayla greeted them warmly. "Alyssa, Merrick, if you would be kind enough to show them to the camp."

As they were led away, Cole came over to Taylor, knowing why she was upset. He knew that as soon as she had heard the twins had contacted New Tech, she would be hopeful to hear news from the man she had loved. She hadn't parted with him on the best terms, and since the Venjix attacks, they hadn't been able to contact New tech.

"Taylor..."

"It's alright Cole." She sighed, wiping away a tear. "I just wish I'd heard from him."

Gem and Gemma both smiled as the pilot got out of one of the jets, looking around. He was wearing a black, coverall suit, and a bright red Beret. As soon as he saw Taylor, he pulled off his shades, locking eyes with her. Her face lit up as she saw him.

"Eric!" She screamed joyfully, running towards him and throwing her arms around him tightly, as though she had no intention of ever letting him go. Eric returned the gesture.

"Taylor, I thought I might never see you again." He replied, parting from her a little. He caressed her face with his hands, looking into her eyes, which were now filled with tears of joy.

"I can't believe you're here." She sniffed as she wiped some of her tears away.

"When Gem contacted New Tech and told us about Turtle Cove I had to come." He told her. "I'm heading up the team that's here to rebuild Turtle Cove."

He moved in, kissing her softly. Taylor looked at him a little stunned.

"Eric, what about all those things I said to you?" She asked him.

"Taylor, I love you. I shouldn't have had that fight with you." He told her. "I know it was a huge job, but it was only a job."

"Eric, I'm sorry..."

"There's nothing to apologise for. All that time thinking I might have lost you made me realise that I should never have let anything come between us." He told her. "That's why I took this job."

"What are you saying?" She asked him. Eric smiled at her.

"When the team goes home, I'm staying." He told her. "I'm never leaving you again. If you'll have me of course."

"What do you think?" She asked him, putting her hand around behind his head and drawing her into a long, passionate kiss. Max just went to the twins, nudging them.

"Something tells me this is one of those times we should make ourselves scarce." He told them. Cole, Max, Gem and Gemma all quietly left, leaving the night to Taylor and Eric and their long-overdue reunion.


	15. A Stopover Back Home

Gem and Gemma gathered together with the Wild Force and Eric as they prepared to leave the Animarium for the last time. Eric stood behind Taylor, his arms wrapped around her gently, both of them smiling brightly. Everyone was grateful that Eric had survived the attacks and come back to her. Seeing her like this, it was obvious how miserable she must have been all the time they had been separated. Princess Shayla approached them, carrying a basket full of food.

"I packed you something for your journey home." She told them, handing it over. "Please remember to stay in touch."

"We'll definitely do that." Gemma told them with a huge grin. "Sarah will never believe we've actually been to the Animarium! All our favourite stories were of this place!"

"Well I'm glad I still have such enthusiastic fans." Alyssa replied with a small nod, stepping forward and taking Merrick's hand softly. He smiled a little as he felt her hand slip into his, turning back to them.

"Now, we just wanted to give you a little something to remember us by." He told them, gesturing to Max, who turned and headed into the temple at top speed.

"As if we could ever forget this place." Gem replied. Max arrived back, carrying a couple of articles of clothing, and handed the first to Cole, who smiled as he unfolded it, showing it to be a sleeveless just like the ones the Wild Force Rangers wore, though this one was a pale grey. Turning it around, Gemma shrieked as she saw the emblem on it, proclaiming her the Raging Tiger.

"We would like to proclaim you both honorary members of the Wild Force." He told her as she grabbed it, throwing it on over her uniform quickly in her excitement. Gem received one from Max in a pale yellow. Gemma suppressed a small laugh as she saw the emblem on the back, proclaiming him the Crowing Rooster. Obviously they were unaware that Gem's Zord was meant to be a hawk. Even the other RPM Rangers had dubbed it a flying chicken. "Welcome to the team."

"We're definitely honoured to be part of the team." Gemma responded. "Gem and I have something for you too."

Gem reached inside his jacket, pulling out a large roll of paper, handing it to Princess Shayla. They had spent some time the night before drawing a picture of the Wild Force, along with themselves for them. It was one of their usual childish efforts, a little roughly drawn. Only the colours used really marked out who the different Rangers were, though it still made her face light up as she appreciated the sentiment behind it.

"Oh this is just lovely!" She gasped. "I'll definitely keep this."

"Yeah, it's...um...wonderful." Merrick said diplomatically. Alyssa nudged him gently in the ribs.

"Anyway, we should really be going." Gem told them. "Keep us posted on how the cleanup is going."

"We definitely will." Cole assured her as they got onto the jet, waving as they went. Gem fired up the engines, lifting off as the Wild Force waved them off. As the jet disappeared over the horizon, they all went their separate ways, leaving Taylor and Eric alone once more. The Quantum Ranger turned her towards him, smiling at her warmly.

"You have some interesting friends there." He commented.

"This from the man whose best friends include a cat woman and a seven foot blue dog?" Taylor commented. "I'll have to take that as a compliment."

"I never said anything mean." He reminded her. "I just said they were interesting. I just wish I had gotten more chance to get to know them."

"I guess you'll just have to make do with me then." Taylor said with a slight shrug. "Will I do?"

"What do you think?" He asked her as he pulled her in, kissing her passionately.

In the APC, the guys were starting to get a little agitated. It had been just shy of a week since they had left Vegas, and they were all eager to get back to Corinth. As they got to the crest of a hill, Dillon got a wide grin on his face and gestured to the others in the back.

"Guys, here it is!" He called out, waving them forward. It was only a few miles away now, and shimmered a little in the heat as they approached. Flynn and Scott pushed their way into the seats up front, smiling broadly.

"Corinth City!" They called together.

"I guess letting this one behind the wheel for the last few hours has paid off after all." Flynn commented, patting the back of Dillon's chair. "So, it's a pretty clear stretch the last few miles. Does anyone want to try hitting the nitrous again?"

"Do it Dillon." Scott instructed him. Dillon activated the nitrous, at which the vehicle suddenly burst forward at incredible speed. They all held on as it raced forward, throwing up a massive dust cloud behind them. The distance started to close quickly. As they saw the gates approaching, Scott grabbed Dillon's shoulder.

"We're getting close. Slow it down." Scott instructed him. Dillon though got an evil grin on his face.

"You remember how you don't believe in downshifting?" He asked him in response.

"Dillon, that was different." Scott said in a panicked tone. "My car doesn't weigh six tons, it isn't racing towards a gate, and more importantly...I'm not at the wheel!"

"Don't you trust me?" Dillon asked him mischievously as Flynn got on the communicator to get the guards to open the gate.

"Dillon!" He shrieked.

"Come on, if you knew for sure it would be alright, it wouldn't be trust right?" Dillon asked him. With that, Scott looked back to the gate, feeling a sense of dread as he saw it beginning to open. The vehicle flew in through the gate, barely clearing it and skidded to a halt, throwing up dust into the street. Dillon killed the engine and grinned at him as Scott breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright Dillon, you've had your fun." Scott replied, taking the driver's seat from him. "If you don't mind, I'll roll into the Garage from here. Let's not wreck any more of the city that we have to alright?"

Dillon just laughed and sat back; relaxing and waiting for the moment he would once again get to hold his wife in his arms. It had been unfortunate timing that they had to leave only just after finding out that Summer was pregnant. He had now been gone just a little under a month, and had missed some of the first stages that she had to go through. He regretted not being there for her initial check-ups, but he hoped to make up for it during what time they had together. He knew that Chas had planned some kind of celebration, and he was determined to make her know how special she was to him.

Over in the Garage, Sam arrived, being shown in by one of the soldiers. Being seven months pregnant, she was now pretty big, and beginning to show a little discomfort whenever she had to go too far. She was helped onto the couch, where Tenaya met her, handing her a cushion for her lower back.

"I guess Sarah sent you the message that we're expecting the others back." Tenaya greeted her. "How are you feeling?"

"Well now that I don't have to work every day it's getting a bit easier getting around." She responded. "I've been getting tired all the time recently."

"Well I'd love to be able to tell you that's natural, but I don't really know." Tenaya told her. "Alex my pregnancy was over so quickly I don't know how much of my exhaustion was natural and how much of it was down to it only taking a few weeks."

Summer came in at the tail of this conversation, but didn't say a word. They all knew that she was nervous about her own pregnancy. The last thing she was overly fond of was thinking about what awaited her down the line. She sat down, pulling a pillow to her chest, hugging it.

"Is there any news?" Summer asked them. Sarah came bounding into the room with a skip in her step, throwing herself onto the couch with a box of Mr. Marshmallow sweets, popping one into her mouth.

"Gem and Gemma just sent a signal from the jet. They're on their way back. They should be here in a couple of hours." She told them happily. "The border guards just reported the APC arriving a few minutes ago. They should be arriving right about..."

At that, the main doors opened, and Scott, Flynn and Dillon came into the room. The girls rushed over to greet them, hugging them warmly. Flynn parted from Sam a little way.

"Lass, you look amazing!" He gasped, marvelling at her. She had noticeably grown quite a bit during the time he had been away. He caressed her stomach with his palm, smiling brightly. "How are you holding up?"

"We've really been missing you." She responded. "The baby hasn't stopped playing up since Sarah contacted me to tell me you were coming home."

"So I notice!" He laughed as he felt it kicking.

"Well I've been looking forward to getting back to my girl too." Scott replied, lifting Dr. K off the ground. Sarah laughed as she almost spilled her sweets on the floor. "If you guys don't mind, we have a few things we need to discuss in private."

With that, he took her from the room. Dillon was hugging Tenaya and Summer tightly at this point.

"I guess Alex is sleeping." He said to his sister. She nodded in response.

"Ziggy's just watching him." She informed him. "He's making up for lost time."

"Well that reminds me, I have a little lost time to make up for." He replied with a smile, looking deeply into Summer's eyes as he pulled her in. She smiled as he pulled her in, kissing her passionately. Tenaya just pointed over her shoulder.

"I think this is my queue to leave." She replied. "I'll just...yeah."

With that, she left Summer and Dillon alone in the room. Summer suddenly felt her nose crinkling, and pulled away sharply, her brows creasing as she looked to the floor.

"What have you been eating?" She asked him.

"We had burgers with onions a while ago." He informed her. "Summer..."

She clamped a hand over her mouth and sprinted from the room as quickly as she could, leaving him alone. He had hoped for something a little more romantic for his reunion with his wife after missing so long with her. However, following to check on her as she lost yet another meal, he couldn't help smiling.

Meanwhile, in another part of the base, Scott took Sarah into her room, setting her down on the bed, scattering her candy everywhere.

"The only thing I could think about was getting back for this ceremony." He told her as he caressed her face gently with his hand. "Listen, I don't know if this is what you want, it was just an idea I had, but I want to run something by you."

"Scott..."

"Sarah, I don't want to spend any longer apart than we have to." Scott told her. "Now, I know we've got a couple of days, so it gives you a little while to think, but...I was wondering if you would like to ask Dad to marry us on VV day."

"Scott..."

"We don't have to get up on stage and do it in front of the city or anything if you want to keep it private, but I really want us to consider this." He continued quickly, hoping to sell her on the idea. "Ziggy and Tenaya wanted to wait until we were done before they went ahead with their own wedding. You caught the bouquet last time..."

"That's just a silly superstition." She reprimanded him. "It doesn't matter if..."

"It matters to them." Scott told her. "I don't want to pressure you. If you don't want to do this now..."

"I can't do this now." She told him. "I'm sorry."

She saw that he was disappointed, and hated to see that in him. She reached out, taking his hand softly.

"Please, let me explain." She begged him. "For a long time, ever since I found out the truth about Alphabet Soup, I've been having a hard time sleeping. I've been having some pretty intense nightmares."

"Sarah, that's only natural." He told her. "You remember what Summer went through don't you?"

"It's always the same. I always fear that someday they'll come back for me." She told him. "The dreams are always the same. They come for me; they take me away and...They don't care who they have to hurt to get me."

"Sarah..."

"They kill you." She admitted. "In every one of these nightmares they kill you and take me away. They take me back and I end up all alone again!"

"Sarah, that will NEVER happen!" He assured her. "You've said it yourself, Alphabet Soup was destroyed. The only trace of them that exists is the Ranger Series technology, and you own all of it right here!"

"But that was before we found out about the Macha Group." She shrieked. "Alphabet Soup, the agents that worked for it were spread so much farther than we could ever have imagined. We don't know if there are agents left."

He sighed and took a computer disk out of his jacket. He was beginning to regret telling her that he had found some evidence of the Macha Group's existence in Vegas. This couldn't have done anything to allay her fears.

"The only guys we found were gophers in a factory." He told her. "This part of your life is over. There's no one coming for you, and even if there was, you know I'm not exactly that easy to kill."

He drew in, kissing her deeply before looking into her eyes, smiling.

"No one will ever take you from me." He assured her. "I promise you that."

"That's very comforting, but my mind cannot be at ease until I know for myself, until I can have absolute proof that Alphabet Soup and the Macha Group have been destroyed for good." She told him. "Until then, I'll never feel like I can be safe. I'll never feel like anyone I care about wouldn't be at risk."

She looked up to him regretfully.

"Until I know for certain who I am and where I came from, until I know no one will ever come after me, I can never put any family I may have in danger." She told him. "I can't marry you."

Scott realised that as much as this hurt, as much as he felt rejected by her telling him she would possibly never become his wife, he understood why she felt that way, and he knew how stubborn she was when she got her mind set on something. He couldn't possibly convince her that she was in just as much danger with him as her husband as she was on her own.

"Then I guess I'm just going to have to help convince you." He told her. "If checking this out, if finding the truth is what it takes, then I'll be with you every step of the way."

Gem and Gemma started to come into view of the city. Gemma got into the pilot's seat, switching off the autopilot as Gem got into the seat next to her.

"Corinth airspace control, this is the Gold and Silver Rangers coming in on final approach, requesting permission to enter Corinth city." He told them.

"Gem, this is Vasquez. You are clear for your approach to the hangar." She greeted him. "Welcome back Gold Ranger."

"Is there any word from the others?" He asked her. Vasquez smiled.

"The border guards called a while ago to inform us the ATV arrived. The others are back in the city." She informed him happily. "It looks like you're all going to be here for the VV day celebrations after all."

"That sounds awesome!" Gem yelled, forcing her to recoil a little. He obviously forgot she was wearing a headset. "Sorry, it'll just be good to get a chance to unwind a little after recent events."

"I'm sure everyone's planning to have a good time." Vasquez told him. "Gemma, Hicks asked me to tell you he ducked out early. He'll be waiting for you at the Garage."

"I'm really looking forward to that." She responded. "Anyway, we're just about to enter your airspace. We'll talk to you once we've landed. Over and out!"

"Over and Out Gemma." Vasquez replied, signing off the communications relay to allow her to concentrate on landing.

As Gemma flew over the last remaining miles before coming to Corinth, neither of them saw a small vehicle in the wastes approaching the city. It didn't register on any of their scanners either. It skidded to a halt at the top of a nearby ridge.

It was an all-terrain vehicle, covered in dust from its long journey. The door opened and the driver got out, quickly scrambling to the edge of a rocky outcrop.

He was around six foot eight tall, with shoulder-length, wild, black hair, and heavy facial hair, giving him the look of someone who had been travelling for some time. He was wearing heavy, dark leathers, his jacket hanging open a little, showing a heavy body armoured chest plate. A number of scars covered the right side of his face, narrowly missing his eye, and his skin was a little leathery from his long journey in the harsh sun. He pulled out a cigar, lighting it as he looked out over the city.

"I guess this is Corinth then." He commented as he flicked the match away, before pulling out a canteen. He unscrewed the cap, pulling out the cigar as he took a long swig, before putting the cap back on and put the flask back into his jacket. "It looks like I'm here."


	16. A Night to Relax

The VTOL Jet descended slowly into the hangar of the new Ranger base, bringing Gem and Gemma back to their friends. Hicks was standing closest, with Vasquez not far behind him. He was so eager to see Gemma again; he was standing within the red zone of the landing pad. Only the strength lent to him by his implants stopped the down draft from the air craft blowing him away. Vasquez smiled a little to see the way he was watching the jet, glad to see him happy again. They had become closer since they had been promoted and she now acted as his aide.

As the jet touched down, the engines starting to wind down, the entry hatch opened, and Gem and Gemma appeared, wearing their new Wild Force jackets over their uniforms. Gemma was so keen to get to her boyfriend she ran down the stairs and leapt off them before they even touched the ground. Hicks scooped her up into his arms.

"Well there's a welcome I could get used to." She greeted him. "Guys, you will not believe where we've been!"

"We know you've been to Turtle Cove." Flynn reminded them. "We kind of sent you there..."

"No, not just that." Gem told them. "We've been to the Animarium!"

"The Animarium?" Tenaya asked them as Alex started to kick and squirm excitedly at the mention of the name. Tenaya read to him most nights before he went to sleep. Some of his favourite stories were about the hidden floating island and the gigantic creatures that acted as its guardians. "That place in the story books?"

"The stories are all real!" Gemma shot back excitedly. "We met the Animarium Warriors. They're Power Rangers just like us!"

"They gave us these cool jackets!" Gem told them, turning around, showing them the Crowing Rooster emblem on his back. "We're now honorary Wild Force Rangers!"

"You're still RPM Rangers first remember." Summer reminded them. "We wouldn't want you to run off now you've got a floating jungle in the sky to go to instead of a city."

"Oh we would never do that." The twins yelled together.

"We just love..."

"...getting to be Animarium warriors." Gem answered. He looked around, noticing two of their friends were conspicuous by their absence. "So where are Sarah and Scott?"

"Scott went out a little while ago. He wanted to visit his brother." Vasquez informed them. "Dr. K's been in her lab for a while now. She said something about wanting to analyse some data. We haven't heard from her in about an hour now."

"Well maybe we can help." Gemma suggested.

"She's sealed the door. We can't get in." Hicks said to his girlfriend regretfully. "You know what she's like; she'll come out when she's ready."

"Anyway, Colonel Truman..." Vasquez's words tailed off as Hicks gave a small cough to remind her of her mistake. He had made the same mistake himself a few times since the former Colonel had retired. Now he was simply Mason Truman. "Sorry, Mr. Truman called a little while ago. Chas and Brie have secured a private dining room for us at the top restaurant in town for dinner ahead of the VV day celebration."

"Well, we're pretty tired." Dillon said apologetically, looking to Summer as he put his arm around her. "We're probably just going to have a quiet night..."

"The city's paying." Hicks informed them.

"We'll just get changed!" All the Rangers called out together, rushing to their rooms to prepare for the night ahead.

Over at the city asylum, Scott arrived, already dressed for dinner. His father had already called him with the invite to dinner. He had offered to give his brother a ride to the restaurant, since he knew he would be finishing his shift quite late. Of course he also just wanted to talk to someone about the situation that was forming with his fiancée.

He quietly followed Marcus on his rounds as he made sure the patients had been fed and treated before going back to their rooms to be secured for the night. Since the battle, Marcus had decided that he had seen more than enough violence in his life, and decided that he had no interest in returning to the military. He had decided instead to dedicate himself to protecting the patients. Being responsible for the safety of others gave him a sense of purpose that he never had. It made him feel like he had a life after Venjix. Scott wasn't really listening to him as he talked about his new role in life.

"So the new doctors Vasquez managed to find are really doing wonders for this place." He concluded his story. Scott looked up to his brother, realising he had missed pretty much everything he had said. He had to say something to cover. He thought for a second before coming up with something.

"Where's Cassandra?" He asked him. It had been some time since any of the Rangers had seen her. Since her gift had been discovered, Marcus took a personal interest in watching over her, making sure that none of the doctors mistreated her as she had been before. Since no one had known about her abilities as an empath, she had been misdiagnosed as schizophrenic and bounced around institutions for most of her life. Of course now they knew, they also understood that spending all her time around the asylum was hardly helpful since she kept picking up on the sickness of the other patients.

"She's over at the orphanage." Marcus told him. "I'm surprised Ziggy never mentioned it."

"Oh, I haven't really had a chance to talk to him." Scott said semi-truthfully. "The orphanage?"

"She's technically a voluntary patient here now. She's only staying here while she learns more about her gift." Marcus explained. "She found that being around kids soothes her. Their thoughts and emotions aren't fully developed, so they're still full of innocence. She finds it easier to be around them, so Ziggy's mom and dad agreed to let her help out there during the day. She works there five days a week now."

"I'm glad things are finally starting to work out for her." Scott replied, a little pleased to hear this. The last time he had seen her, she still had almost no control over her gift. Father Larry had been murdered before he could begin to teach her how to control it. As a result, she still couldn't block out everything. Sometimes all the images and sounds that got into her head overwhelmed her.

"So what do you really want to talk about?" Marcus asked him. Scott looked at him a little confused.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." Scott replied. Marcus just looked at him unconvinced.

"You do know I spend almost all day every day around psychiatrists right?" He asked him sarcastically as he gestured towards his room. "You don't spend that long listening to psycho babble without picking up a thing or two."

"What makes you think...?"

"You haven't listened to a word I've said since you got here." Marcus interrupted him. "Also, as much as I appreciate the offer of a ride, you are aware that I actually have a car now."

"You do?" Scott asked, furrowing his brows. Marcus just rolled his eyes.

"One of the first things I told you was that I'm now the head of security here." Marcus groaned. "I'm earning a pretty good salary now."

"Oh, right." Scott muttered, realising he had seen right through him. "It's Sarah."

"Dr. K?" Marcus asked him. "I thought that was one of the things you were pretty much certain about."

"Actually I am, it's more something that's come up." Scott told him. "It turns out she's having some pretty serious nightmares about Alphabet Soup ever since she found out the truth."

"Is that all?" Marcus asked him. "I'm sure it'll pass."

"No, it's more complicated than that. She can't shake this feeling that the Macha Group hasn't been completely destroyed. She's terrified about them coming after her." He informed him. "She's scared that they'll hurt the people she cares about to get to her. She said in her dreams...they kill me to get to her and then they take her back."

"It sounds like some kind of anxiety." Marcus said sympathetically as he opened his locker, looking out his clothing for the night. "I'm sure if she was willing to talk to one of the doctors..."

"You have met her right?" Scott asked him sceptically. Marcus just nodded, conceding the point as he started to get undressed. "She's convinced that if she researches this, if she can prove there's nothing left of the Macha Group, then she'll be able to move on."

"Well if anyone can do this, I'm sure it's her." He replied.

"I know, I just wish..." His words tailed off as he thought about what he wanted to say to him. "She said that she can't marry me until she knows for sure she's over this."

Marcus pulled on his suit pants and looked at his brother, understanding why he was upset. He knew how deeply he cared for Sarah, and how much he wanted to make a life with her.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Marcus said sadly, pulling on a pale blue silk shirt. "I'm sure it'll happen for you both."

"I really hope so." Scott sighed as they started to leave. He took a look at Marcus' clothes as they made his way to his car. "So how much exactly do you get paid?"

"Let's just say it stretches a lot further when I don't have to pay for room or board." Marcus replied, putting his arm around his little brother's shoulders. "One of the fringe benefits of living on site."

Over at the border to Corinth City, the guards by the north-eastern gate were whiling away the boring hours of their shifts in the station office when a perimeter alarm sounded. The Duty Sergeant put his cards face-down on the table where they were playing poker and picked up his blaster as his two comrades also readied themselves for the new arrival.

He made his way towards the gate, activating the exterior camera. It showed a large, four by four truck approaching slowly. It was covered in dust from the desert, and looked like it had been out there for some time, but he could catch the faintest hint of blue paint. The scan indicated that the vehicle carried no weapons, and had only one passenger, but some kind of interference blocked it from scanning him for technology.

"Border control, Sergeant Lexington. State your business." He demanded through the communicator. The driver leaned out the window, pressing the call button.

"I'm seeking refuge." He told them. The Duty Sergeant opened the gate, allowing the vehicle to enter. He held up a hand to indicate he wanted the driver to stop.

"Kill the engine and step out the vehicle." He ordered him. The driver stepped out of the truck slowly, making sure he gave the guards no reason to suspect he was making a move.

"Stand over by the guard station." The Duty Sergeant barked as he gestured to his men to begin the usual checks of the vehicle for concealed explosives or contraband. He came over, pulling out a scanning wand. "I just need to scan you for viruses and Venjix techn..."

His words were interrupted as the driver's side door of the vehicle flew open hard, smashing into one of the guards, knocking him unconscious. As the other levelled his blaster at it, the truck rushed forward, ramming him, sprawling him across the hood, before the hood opened, throwing him over the vehicle onto the ground behind it.

The Duty Sergeant reached for his blaster, but the stranger caught his hand, holding him in a strong grip, preventing him from using it. The stranger's eyes were cold, and unnerving.

"Do not aim a weapon at my truck!" He sneered, before punching the Sergeant in the face, sending him flying several feet, smashing through the door of the office. He satisfied himself that the guards were unconscious, before going to the gate controls and closing the gate behind him. He checked a device strapped to his wrist and smiled.

"There are Zord energy signatures here. We're in the right place." He said to himself. He whistled to his truck, which drove over to him, opening the driver's door, revealing no one inside. He got into the truck.

"I just need to find somewhere to lie low for a while." He stated, stroking the dashboard. "I'm sure it won't be too hard to find the Rangers and Dr. K."

With that, he drove off, leaving the disabled guards behind him.

Over in another part of town, the Rangers all arrived in the finest restaurant in the city. They had all made an effort to dress up for the evening, knowing that this was a special occasion. Chas greeted them at the door, dressed in his finest tux. Brie was standing next to him in a pale blue cocktail dress with a huge smile on her face. Since their daughter had been born, this was really the first major opportunity they'd had to enjoy a night out together.

"Summer, it's wonderful to see you looking so well." Brie greeted her warmly, hugging her and kissing her cheek. "I remember the early days. They weren't much fun."

"I have good days and bad days." Summer said with a smile, reaching for Dillon's hand, holding it warmly. "So where is Elisa?"

"We dropped her off at her Grandma's place." Chas told them. "I might have my issues with Mr. Winchester, but I don't want to deny mom the opportunity to be a granny."

"I'm sure Mrs. Winchester would love you calling her that." Ziggy sniggered. "We had the same idea. Alex is spending the night at the orphanage."

"Well, the room should be ready now, so what do you say we all go through and have a seat?" Chas told them, leading them through. The main private dining room was certainly something to behold. While it wasn't quite as grand as the dining hall at the Winchester mansion, it was certainly more than they were used to. There was a long, wide table extending the entire length of the room, set with a deep crimson table cloth. The places were set with highly polished silver cutlery. There were ice buckets every few inches, interspersed with baskets of warm bread and candle sticks. A waiter was already busy pouring glasses of champagne.

"Well this is certainly different from the c-rations in the APC." Flynn commented as he helped Sam into a chair. "What does the menu look like?"

"I'll tell you when someone translates it." Hicks replied, looking at it a little confused. "Sorry, French isn't really my strong point."

"I'll help you out." Gemma whispered to him. "I was fluent by the time I was eight."

Vasquez arrived a couple of minutes late, wearing a black silk dress. She looked around a little nervously. As Hicks' aide, she was invited, but she wasn't really much of a sociable person. She made her way to the seat on Hicks' other side, while Gem sat next to his sister. Mason took a seat at one end of the table, while Chas sat at the opposite end, Brie by his side.

"So where are the others?" He asked.

"My sons should be here shortly." Mr. Truman replied, fidgeting a little in his suit. It was the first time in a long time he was attending a formal function out of uniform. He had only retired a little before the Rangers had left, and was finding it a little adjustment.

"Sorry we're late." Scott responded as they arrived, sitting at the table with Marcus. "I called Sarah; she isn't really feeling that great. She's just going to have an early night and hope it passes by tomorrow."

"Oh, that's a shame." Brie said sympathetically. "Let her know we were thinking about her."

"Well it's a shame. I really would have liked to see her tonight." Chas added. "I mean, she is the one we have to thank for this whole celebration."

"I'm sure she'll be alright by tomorrow." Mr. Truman responded, standing up with a glass in his hand. "Now, if you would all like to charge your glasses, I'd like to propose a toast."

Over in another part of town, the four by four truck crawled down the dark streets slowly. While the cartels were now gone, having been destroyed by Ziggy, Chas and Marcus, there were still some criminal elements in the city. The stranger recognised the signs right away. The streets were dark, and barely lit. Very few people were on the streets, and those that were stood concealed in corners and alleys. As he watched a man in motorcycle leathers accept a large roll of money from a woman who looked like she was far from able to afford it, before reaching inside his jacket and handing her something, he knew he had found the right place. No one would ask too many questions here.

He parked up his truck and approached the man slowly. He was bald, with dark skin, and had the faintest hint of a tattoo visible on the left side of his neck. He had a moustache and a couple of silver hoop ear rings in his left ear.

"I've not seen you around before." The dealer greeted him harshly. "Nice wheels."

"Thanks." He replied. "I was looking for somewhere to stay."

"There's a guest house around the corner." The dealer told him. "It's a bit of a roach trap."

"Thanks." He replied, before starting to walk away.

"So, do you fancy some stuff?" The dealer asked him. "My rates are pretty reasonable."

"Thank you but no." He replied, before heading back to his truck. He paused for a second and thought about it, realising that by now the incident at the gate house would likely have been reported. People would be looking for his vehicle.

"Do you know somewhere I can park this out of sight?" He asked. The dealer shrugged.

"If it's too hot for you, I can get rid of it." He offered.

"No one touches this truck." The stranger warned him. "I just need it out of sight."

"The owner of the guest house has self-storage units around the back." He responded with a shrug. "I'm sure he'll offer you a decent rate."

The stranger nodded, before getting into the truck. He drove around the corner a little way, coming to rest outside a guest house. He got out, and made his way inside. There was a small, dimly lit bar in the lobby, where people sat drinking and smoking, giving the room a distinctive smell that was far from welcoming. He approached the bar, waving over the barman.

"I understand you have rooms and somewhere I can park off-street." He greeted him. The barman shrugged.

"That depends if you can pay for it." He responded. The stranger reached into his pocket, before slamming a stone on the counter. The barman's eyes shot open wide as he saw it, realising it was an uncut diamond, about half the size of a golf ball. It would have been worth enough to buy the entire city block, never mind pay for the room.

"I trust my credit's good." The stranger said sarcastically. The barman hurriedly handed him a key.

"If there's anything you need..." Just then, they heard a few screams. The stranger just smiled.

"It's just my security system. Apparently my vehicle's already attracted some admirers." He commented. "I'll park up my vehicle."

"Unit 4." The barman told him, handing him another key. "If there's anything else..."

"I'd like a burger and a beer in my room when I get back." He told him. "Also, if someone could wash the outside of my vehicle, I would be grateful."

"So what's the name for the register?" The barman asked him. The stranger just smirked.

"Forget the name." He replied. "For what I'm paying I'm sure you can exercise some discretion."

The stranger went to the storage unit, passing the unconscious bodies of a couple of would-be car-jackers and unlocked it, opening the door. He whistled, at which the truck started up and drove around, parking itself inside. He closed up, locking the door behind it and headed back inside. He ignored the other patrons as they watched him head up the stairs, quickly finding his room. The stranger went inside, finding a bare room with only a small chest of drawers, a tiny bathroom, and a bed that had seen better days. He went to the bed, pulling off his jacket and threw it in the corner, revealing a tight black t-shirt, and extensive tribal tattoos extending the length of both arms and disappearing beneath his shirt, interspersed with scars of varying ages, depths and shades from red to almost flesh-coloured. He pulled a file folder out of his jacket just as there was a knock at the door.

"Just put it on the bed." He called out. The barman came in with his meal, coming over and placing the burger and fries on his bed, before handing him a beer.

"I'll let you know if I need anything else." He instructed the barman as he left. He opened the file as he took a swig of beer, pulling out a photograph of Dr. K.

"So this is the woman that destroyed Venjix." He commented with a smile. "Then you're the one I have to find Sarah."


	17. The Stranger Unmasked

Ms. Foster was just finishing loading the dishwasher after dinner when Cassandra came into the kitchen with a huge smile on her face. She was grateful to Helen and Bob for allowing her to spend time at the orphanage. Without anyone who understood her gift to teach her how to control it, she was struggling to figure it out for herself. However, one day, one of the other patients had relatives to visit, one of them a small child. Cassandra had found her thoughts to be comfortable and soothing. The natural innocence of children meant that they didn't have the same darkness inside them that some adults did.

She loved being around the kids now. While she perfected how to block out the thoughts of others, she found it much easier to be around those whose thoughts and feelings didn't hurt her. It gave her the chance to come to terms with her gift; to practice it could be said, without fear of being overwhelmed.

"The younger kids have all been put to bed." She told Ms. Foster cheerfully. "A few of the older ones are just watching a DVD quietly."

"Thanks Cassandra." Helen replied in an exhausted sigh. "You've been a godsend since you started working here."

"It's alright; really you don't have to thank me." She replied, waving off her thanks. "I keep telling you, I love it here."

"Well it's still appreciated." Ms. Foster reiterated. "I love him dearly, but Bob isn't the most domestic of people. He still hasn't figured out how to do the laundry. Anyway, it's getting late. Would you like Bob to give you a lift back to the hospital?"

"No, that's alright." She assured her. "I could do with the walk to work off some of that ice cream."

"OK, I'll see you tomorrow night." Helen told her. Cassandra put on her jacket, making her way out into the night. As she got to the end of the gravel path, she looked around, becoming aware of someone approaching her. She looked up, finding a bearded, scarred man she didn't recognise.

"Sorry to frighten you." He said in a soft voice. "I just stopped to ask directions. I'm looking for this woman."

Cassandra took the photograph he was holding, seeing it was a picture of Dr. K.

"This is Dr. K." Cassandra stated. "What would you want with her?"

"I just need to speak with her." He replied, touching her shoulder. Cassandra felt his thoughts coursing through her, and her head started pounding as she was assaulted by images of violence and warfare. She looked up at the stranger, clearly terrified.

"Who are you?" She gasped. The stranger grabbed her, forcing her against the wall.

"I don't want to hurt you." He told her. "If you tell me where to find her, I'll let you go without hurting you. I promise."

"She's at the Garage." Cassandra rushed out, her head in agony as she felt like her brain was about to burst into flames.

"Where is it?" He asked her a little more forcefully. Cassandra closed her eyes, trembling in fear.

"Three blocks from here." She told him. "Next right, then head straight. You'll see it on the left."

The stranger released her, at which Cassandra immediately ran off back towards the orphanage. The stranger got into his truck and gunned the engine, heading towards the Garage. He knew that the first thing Cassandra would do was call someone and tell them that someone was after Dr. K.

Cassandra pounded on the door, which Bob answered. She threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly as tears streamed down her face.

"I was attacked." She told him. "He wanted to know where to find Dr. K."

"Helen, call the Rangers." He instructed his girlfriend as she arrived, finding Cassandra in a hysterical state. "Someone's going after Dr. K."

"But the military is guarding the base now." She gasped. "Who would try and attack that? It's insane!"

Sarah was sitting in a dimly lit lab, going over some files. She had gone over all the evidence she had compiled a million times, but she still couldn't help feeling like she would find something she had missed. She was desperate to free herself from her torment, to finally put her past to rest once and for all, but there was still so much she didn't know. The files never seemed to reveal anything she could use to find out who had been responsible for imprisoning her, and more importantly, what fate befell them.

The communicator burst into life, and she heard Scott's voice.

"Sarah, we're coming as quick as we can!" He yelled. "Just hang on!"

"Scott, what are you talking about?" She asked him. Almost on cue, she heard a loud crash from the main hangar. Going to the security monitor, she watched as a blue four by four truck crashed through the heavy steel security doors. As guards poured into the hangar to confront the attacker, the stranger disembarked, attacking them, taking them down with impressive skill and dismissive ease.

"Someone's just crashed the gate!" Sarah screamed. She hit the security lockdown button, sealing the lab. She went back to the security monitor and watched as the stranger dispatched the last of the guards in the hangar. His truck then powered up and surged forward, slamming through the wall into the main room. The stranger followed it.

"No one breaks into my home and gets away with it." She hissed, activating the defence cannons. As the first descended from the ceiling, firing a volley, the stranger darted into cover, dodging the blasts as he went.

"He shouldn't be able to do that." She gasped. "It's not humanly possible to move that quickly."

The stranger's truck drove forward, blasts rebounding off its hull uselessly and slammed into the door to the lab. Sarah shrieked as the doors flew inward, narrowly missing her. The truck backed off, and the stranger stepped into the hole he had made.

"Sarah Marie Baxter I presume." He announced. Another ceiling cannon descended, but the stranger moved quickly, pulling out a key and sticking it into the device on his wrist, twisting it. Instantly he transformed into a tight blue bodysuit, with white boots and gloves, and a yellow rectangle on the chest. His helmet was also blue and appeared to have car headlights built into it. He pulled out a blaster, using it to rebound the blast back destroying the cannon. He then fired a shot as Sarah went to pull out a drawer, presuming she was going for a weapon. She held her hands up defensively as he advanced on her.

"What do you want with me?" She asked him. "Are you with the Macha Group?"

"No, I just know about them, and I'm willing to tell you everything you know if you do as I ask." He told her as he recalled his helmet. "I need your help."

Scott and the others stormed into the room, finding Sarah with the stranger. Scott levelled a blaster at him.

"Step away from her!" He demanded. The stranger put away his blaster slowly, de-morphing as he did so.

"It's alright, I don't mean any harm." He told them.

"Yeah, it looks like it." Flynn quipped sarcastically, looking at the wreckage. "What's the story?"

"My name is Justin Stewart." He told them. "I came here to ask for your help."

A few hours later, Chas, Hicks, Vasquez and the Rangers were all assembled in the main room. The soldiers had cleaned up as much as they could, and had replaced the hangar door. Justin's truck was parked in the hangar. Scott was pacing the room impatiently, trying to collect his thoughts as to how to begin.

"So you're a Ranger?" Dillon asked him. Justin just let out a small, derisive laugh.

"You know, we didn't bother with a Black Ranger on my team. Now I guess I know why." He replied disrespectfully. "Yes, I'm a Ranger. I was the Blue Turbo Ranger. That's my Zord, Mountain Blaster."

"So why did you attack the base?" Scott asked him, pointing to the hole in the wall.

"Sarah is easily the most important person in the city. I doubted if a stranger turned up asking to see the woman directing the efforts to reclaim the planet earth, the military would just show me in." He explained. "I needed to get your attention to make sure you'd hear me out."

"Alright, so you got our attention." Sarah snapped grumpily. "How do you know my name? What do you know about the Macha group?"

"My dad used to work for them. He was one of the researchers." He explained. "He worked directly for the president of the company."

"So your dad..."

"He didn't know about Alphabet Soup, but he found out." Justin corrected her. "Once he found out, he took his suspicions straight to the government. He was working as a double agent, passing along information. It's because of him SPD knew about Alphabet Soup."

"How do you know about SPD?" Dillon asked him.

"I take it you're the brains of the outfit." Justin said sarcastically. Summer felt Dillon's muscles tense up under his dinner jacket, but held him. It was her way of wordlessly telling him to calm down. They needed to find out what Justin wanted first. They could worry about his attitude later. "I was on a team with Tommy Oliver. He contacted me and told me about your team. That's how I knew to come to Corinth. After all, if anyone could help, it would be Sarah."

"What do you want from us?" Sarah asked him. Justin smiled.

"I want to take you back to where the Ranger Legend all began." He told her. "I want your help to save Angel Grove."


	18. Justin's Story

The Rangers moved through to the lab with Justin to continue the briefing. He went to the computer, beginning to work on the keyboard furiously, working his way through Dr. K's system with amazing speed. Dillon watched him as he worked furiously.

"How do you know this stuff?" He asked him.

"I have a brain." Justin replied dismissively. Summer could see that Dillon was beginning to lose patience with Justin's arrogant attitude. It was true that he hadn't made the greatest of first impressions, essentially smashing his way into the Ranger's home and attacking the guards that were there to protect Sarah, and it seemed like he was making no effort to endear himself to them now either, despite asking for their help. "I was a child prodigy. By the time I was 12 I was already in High School."

"Well by the time I was 12 I already had three doctorates!" Sarah snapped at him, grabbing Justin's shirt and pulling him away from the console. "You're asking for our help remember? So if you want us to listen, you will treat my team with respect!"

"Listen lady..."

"No you listen! My team have proven themselves to me on more than one occasion!" She interrupted him sharply, continuing her rant. Scott stood, smiling proudly as the woman he loved berated their uninvited guest. "All you've done is wreck my home and try to blackmail me with knowledge about my past. You've done nothing to prove yourself to me. Make no mistake, if I say the word, my Rangers will have no second thoughts about tossing you back into the wastes."

Justin looked around at the team assembled before him. He was a strong warrior in his own right, but he was sure that facing off against seven fully powered Rangers, even ones that hadn't had their powers as long as him, wasn't a wise move. Dillon in particular seemed to almost be waiting for an invitation to be turned loose.

"Now, start talking to my people with the due level of manners or I will have you removed." She warned him. Justin pulled off his jacket, revealing his impressive physique and extensive tattoos. He took out a computer disk and loaded it into the computer, showing them schematics from the Turbo Ranger team's arsenal.

"I was part of the Turbo Ranger team. When the Blue Zeo Ranger, Rocky De Santos, was injured and left unable to take up the mantle of his new Ranger powers, he chose me as his replacement."

"Aw, you were so cute." Dillon teased him, seeing his old photograph. "Nice bowl-cut grandpa."

"Step back newbie, you might just learn something." Justin told him. "When the command centre was over-run, we thought our powers were lost forever. The rest of the Rangers boarded a ship in the Nasada base, the Astro Megaship and made their way into space to find help. I remained behind."

"So what happened?" Summer asked him.

"They joined forces with Andros, the Red Space Ranger and became the Space Rangers." Justin informed them, moving the files to the appropriate team. "During that time, we found out that Lightning Cruiser, TJ's Zord, and Mountain Blaster, who you've already met, had been captured. Mountain Blaster brought me back to help free Lightning Cruiser. It was then we found out that Mountain Blaster had my old Turbo Morpher all along. That was when I became a Ranger again."

"So you've been a Ranger since you were 12 years old?" Summer asked him. "Who thought it was a good idea to throw a kid into all of this?"

"Look, as fascinating as all of this is, we have a lot to concentrate on, not least of which is starting to build the transit system between the liberated cities." Scott reminded them. "What do you need help with?"

"When Terra Venture took off in search of a new world, they were kind enough to take the Astro Megaship with them." He said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Tommy gave the Dragonzord to SPD to help with their research, which meant we only had Lightning Cruiser and Mountain Blaster as Zords, and no ability to make a Megazord. When Venjix attacked, the Space Rangers and I held out as much as we could, but when they started sending in the big guns, we got stomped into the ground, so we had to find a way to even the odds."

He pulled off his shirt, revealing an electronic device about the size of a cell phone surgically implanted in his chest.

"My dad still had a lot of the research from the Macha Group in his files, so he gave us all a little upgrade to help us when the enemy was a little bigger than us." He told them. "The Macha Group was beginning research into cybernetics. Dad thought they were planning to use it for medical purposes to help amputees and people with disabilities, but when he saw how much the implants improved on the performance of the original body; he knew it was going to be used to create super soldiers. It was one of the things that tipped him off to the Macha Group's real motives. It was also the foundation for..."

"It was the foundation of Venjix's research into creating hybrids." Tenaya chipped in, figuring out where this was going. Justin nodded in response.

"Dad hooked us all up with a full system upgrade so to speak." Justin informed him. "Together with our Ranger abilities, it tipped the balance in our favour. We managed to destroy all the attack bots he sent to clear out the city. However, there was an unforeseen problem."

"Venjix took over." Scott concluded. Justin nodded in response.

"Since Venjix knew the system we ran on, he put out a signal that took control of the implants. Dad managed to catch me and implant this dampener in my chest, but the other Rangers were lost. Venjix used them as his new generals."

"Wait; if they're hybrids then as soon as Venjix was destroyed the control signal should have been destroyed." Dillon reminded them.

"It hasn't though." Justin told them. He tapped the device in his chest with his fingers. "The dampener stops me from being taken over, but I can still feel the signal trying to hack my systems. As long as the dampener works I'll be fine, but it only has a limited power supply."

"How do you power it?" Dr. K asked him.

"It was powered by energy crystals dad managed to salvage from the old Ranger base." He informed them. "I inserted the last one about a month ago."

"How long do you have?" Gem asked him. Justin shook his head.

"I don't know exactly," he answered honestly, "another couple of weeks, a month if I'm lucky."

"That's why you came looking for us." Sarah concluded. Justin nodded, and handed her another CD ROM.

"This was the last information dad managed to compile on the Macha Group and the people on its payroll. It was the last report he managed to compile before the attacks. He never managed to get it to SPD before communications went down."

"We'll help you where we can." Sarah assured him, grateful that Justin had fulfilled his part of the bargain. "Devise a strategy and prepare to leave tomorrow."

"So much for the celebration." Flynn grumbled, realising that they were going to miss out on the VV day celebration. They all left the room, except Scott, who stayed behind for a moment, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked her. "What you know already has hurt you so much..."

"What can I find out that's any worse?" She sighed. "Scott, you know me. I can't let a mystery go if I can find the answers. I just have to know."

"Just...promise me you won't do anything on your own." He told her. "I'm in this for the long haul. You know that."

Sarah just nodded, at which Scott gently kissed her on the cheek and left the room. Sarah loaded the disc into the computer and loaded up the first file, revealing a number of personnel files. One name in particular caught her attention.

"Mark Iain Baxter?" She gasped as she saw the name. Pulling up her birth certificate, she realised that she was right in her suspicion. She had seen the name before. Her father worked for the Macha Group as an external contractor.

She opened his personnel file, looking at it. It contained a picture, and was deeply encrypted, but it was child's play for someone of her intelligence to decrypt it. Whatever he did, it looked like he was incredibly well paid for it. Payments were infrequent, but incredibly large, regularly in the six figure bracket.

None of his jobs had a detailed description though, only being listed by location. Cities all over the world were listed in his portfolio. However, the last job seemed to be listed with a much more extensive file. She opened it, finding a file she would never have expected. It was an extensive file on Bob Taylor, listing among other things his known haunts, security detail, habits and medical records.

"What would my dad want with Fresno Bob?" She asked herself.

The following day, the Rangers all assembled in the hangar with Justin. Hicks and Vasquez were noticeably absent, having their hands full with last minute preparations for the ceremony. It was just another unfortunate coincidence that most of the Rangers wouldn't be able to attend the ceremony that was being put on in their honour. Justin whistled to Mountain Blaster, at which his Zord dutifully drove into the cargo bay. Gem and Gemma had finished loading up.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Gem asked as Dillon and Ziggy came into the room, carrying rucksacks.

"Hey, I managed to skip the last mission, I don't mind." Ziggy assured them as Scott and Flynn continued to load their equipment into the jet. "It's only fair you two get a break."

"Between Scott's Paleomax Megazord and our Valvemax Megazord, we should have plenty of firepower." Dillon chipped in. Summer came over to her husband, kissing him softly.

"Just don't let him get to you." She instructed him, realising that Justin still got on Dillon's nerves a little. It wasn't really surprising; both of them were a little stand-offish. Since he arrived, Justin had an attitude about others, having survived for a long time out in the wastes by himself. In many ways, they were so similar; it was amusing that they didn't get along.

"Hey, as long as he remembers to hold his tongue, I won't have to rip it out." Dillon told her. "Just you try to take it easy. You remember what the doctor said about your blood pressure."

"Yeah, try to relax and get my blood pressure down while my husband's running off into the wastes every other day for God knows how long." She grumbled. "I'm sure that's going to be easy."

"Come on Dillon, it's about time we were heading off." Ziggy told him, kissing his son goodbye and handing him to Tenaya. "The sooner we go, the sooner we can get back."

"I'll try to contact you as soon as I can." He told her. "I love you."

"I love you too." She replied as he got on the jet, preparing to watch the man she loved leaving her yet again.

Later in the day, Sarah went to the orphanage. She hated to go against what Scott had asked of her, but she couldn't let it drop. It looked like she was finally closing in on finding out why her parents had done what they had, why they had sold her to the company that her father had worked for in some capacity for many years. She had already seen their bank balance, and knew that it was hardly a matter of necessity. Indeed, given the six-figure deposits made for each of her father's contracts, they were incredibly wealthy. They certainly weren't in need of a hundred grand.

Making her way up the path, she found Bob outside with Cassandra and Benny, playing with the kids. She watched them for a second, wishing she felt the same way others did about children. She just couldn't see why everyone fell in love with them. Children were born, and grew into adults; it was as simple as that. Of course her friends occasionally talked about some of the happy childhood memories they had, of the games they played and the friends they had. Sarah didn't have any of that. Her formative years had been sent studying and developing the weapons she would eventually use to save the world.

"Oh, hi Dr. K." Benny greeted her as he noticed her, putting down the boy he was carrying.

"Everyone calls me Sarah now." She told him. "How are you Benny?"

"We don't normally see you around here." He commented. "Can I help you with something?"

"You might be able to actually. I was coming to talk to you and Bob." She told him. "It's about...your past."

Benny nodded in understanding. Now that the Scorpion Cartel was no more, they generally opted to not talk about it anymore, and simply move on with their lives. They certainly didn't talk about some of the unsavoury activities of their past in front of the kids. Benny gestured Cassandra over.

"Cassandra, would you mind taking the kids for a little while?" He asked her. "Bob and I need to talk to Sarah."

Cassandra went back to the kids as Sarah went inside with Bob and Benny, going into the main sitting room. She closed the door behind her and tried to find a way to begin.

"I was doing some research into my past, and I found something I think you might be able to shed some light on." She explained. "It relates to your time with the Scorpion Cartel."

"What can I help you with?" Bob asked her sadly, wishing he could just distance himself from that part of his life.

"What does the name Mark Iain Baxter mean to you?" She asked him. Bob and Benny looked at each other, unsure about this. Clearly they knew the name.

"What does it mean to you?" Bob asked her.

"I know he was employed by the Macha Group." She informed him, pacing the room. "His last job was something to do with you. He had a file on you."

"A long time ago, long before the dome went up, one of my businesses, a race track was making a lot of money." Bob told her. "The Macha Group made an offer on it, but it was far less than the true value of the business. When I told them what to do with their offer, they tried to make me reconsider. Since I was the head of the Scorpion Cartel though, I didn't really respond to threats."

"Mark Baxter was a trouble shooter for the Macha Group, the kind of guy the sent to ensure business deals went through." Benny explained. "He offered the kind of guarantee that only a hollow point bullet could guarantee."

"Mark Baxter was a hitman?" Sarah asked him in a weak voice. "This was his last job, and the file wasn't closed. That means..."

"He went with the same retirement plan as most people in his industry." Bob told her regretfully. Sarah couldn't look at him, sitting quietly. She didn't know what to be most upset about. She had found out that her father, the man who brought her into the world was a reprehensible human being, a man who made a living from death. In some ways that made sense, she had caused the deaths of billions with her work, clearly that was in her genetics. She couldn't help a sharp pain though at learning that her father was dead. "I don't remember exactly who it was, but one of my men got a lucky shot when he made his move. We disposed of his remains, which is why there was no death certificate."

"He's dead?" She asked him. "You're certain he's dead?"

"The way we disposed of people...there's no way he would have survived." Benny assured her, trying to take her hand. Sarah snapped it away involuntarily. Although she loathed what her father was, she couldn't help her instinct to feel revulsion at what had happened to him.

"What about his wife?" Sarah asked them. "What do you know about his wife?"

"We didn't know anything about his wife." Bob assured her. "We never looked into it."

"When was this?" She asked them.

"It was about 12 years ago." Bob told her. Sarah didn't know how to feel about this answer. Going by their timeline, she would have been seven years old. She'd already have been in Alphabet Soup for two years. In some ways, she'd have preferred it if her father had been killed before she was taken. It would have given her mother a reason for what she did. Raising a child alone would have been a difficult and frightening prospect, especially for someone who had lost their partner without explanation. Now though, there was no such reasoning. Her father was alive when she was taken, which meant she was back to square one. Her parents knew what they were doing. She was back to feeling like she wasn't wanted.

"What...what does all this mean to you?" Benny asked her. "You seem upset."

"Mark Baxter was my father." She said in a weak voice, before getting up and leaving the room quickly. Bob tried to stop her, realising that they had just confessed to having a hand in murdering her father. Sara was too quick though, rushing out of the orphanage and down the path to where Scott's car was waiting. She got in, fumbling with the keys as she tried to start the engine. Tears ran down her face as she started the car, pulling away. Scott had warned her that she might not like what she would learn, and so far it seemed like every step she made towards the truth just caused her more pain, but her mind wouldn't let it go. There were still two questions she needed to know the answers to. Did anyone in the Macha Group still exist? And was her mother still out there somewhere?


	19. Return to Angel Grove

In the jet, Dillon was sitting, with Flynn and Ziggy as they made their way over the landscape. Corinth was now looking very different from the mere dome it had been before. Their counterparts in New Tech had been sending out teams to liberate colonies too, recently freeing the city of Mariner Bay. Now between SPD, RPM and now the arsenal of the Aqua Base, new connections were being made every day.

As part of the reformation, they were starting to establish mass transit links between the cities, building a network of bullet trains. Lines extended out from Corinth now, giving it something of the appearance of a gigantic metal spider. None of the links had been completed yet, but the lines were slowly but surely being built. The most recent estimates had put the completion of the first link, the link to Mariner Bay as occurring sometime within the next fortnight. They were expecting the first trains to run about a week later. All going well, they were hoping to have contact brought up with all the major cities within the next four months.

Justin was noticeably quiet as he sat in the corner. He detached the dampener unit from his chest, extending it out on a cable to check the display. Dillon really didn't like him, he hadn't done anything to make the right impression since he arrived, and he had continually talked down to him, insulting his intelligence. As he watched him checking the display though, he felt a little compassion for the Blue Ranger. He had been in this situation before, knowing that the technology within him was slowly taking him over, and that eventually he would lose control completely. Justin was now facing the same thing. Of course, Justin was facing it from a slightly different angle. Because of the dampener unit, he knew pretty much exactly how long he had. He quite literally had a clock in his chest, counting down to the moment he would no longer be able to control his own actions.

"What's the prognosis?" Dillon asked him. Justin just sighed and shook his head.

"Morphing takes a lot of energy. When I morphed breaking into your command centre it accelerated the whole process." He stated sadly, replacing the unit. "I only have about two and a half weeks left."

"That has to suck, knowing it's coming like that." Ziggy commented. "I mean, at least in your case you didn't know it was coming, right Dillon?"

"Ziggy..."

"What's he talking about?" Justin asked him. Dillon just glared at his future brother-in-law coldly.

"You aren't the only one with a little machinery in you." Dillon told him. "Approximately 52 percent of my body is bionic. I was a Venjix hybrid."

"So how are you...?"

"I was hit by an attack that fried the control software in my brain." He told him. "It almost killed me, but I managed to pull through."

"So you managed to stop the tech taking over?" Justin asked him. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Flynn threw a magazine at Ziggy, wordlessly reprimanding him for spilling that information. He knew Ziggy didn't mean anything by it, he was sure he probably just thought he was helping. Of course in the process he had done the one thing none of them wanted.

"Sarah did a scan of your systems. It's similar, but it isn't exactly the same." Flynn explained as Ziggy shrunk away into the corner. "She and the twins are trying to work on your scans to see if they can come up with a compatible anti-virus program..."

"But it's possible they won't manage it." Justin interrupted him. "Even after all that, my friends might be lost for good."

"I'm afraid so." Flynn told him. "We'll do what we can to rescue your friends, but it is possible we'll have no choice but to put them into stasis."

"Stasis?" Justin asked him. "You mean cryogenics?"

"It's kind of like that." Dillon explained, recalling his own experience. "I went into stasis once. You have nothing to worry about. You won't be aware of anything."

"We'll do everything we can for you and your friends." Flynn assured him. Justin didn't say anything though. It couldn't have been easy for him to hear that it may be a futile gesture to bring his friends in.

"We should be getting close enough for me to get a signal to the command centre." He whispered gently as he made his way into another part of the vehicle. "I'll need to contact the others."

Ziggy looked at the others a little regretfully as Justin left.

"Sorry guys, I didn't think..."

"It's alright, we know you didn't mean anything by it." Dillon told him, looking down the corridor Justin had taken to the cargo bay. "It's just a bit hard to hear that you might not have a future."

Over in Corinth, Sarah arrived back at the Garage, making her way through the main room quickly. Repairs were being affected after Justin's rather dramatic entrance, but out of necessity, everything was getting back to normal. Right now, Gemma and Hicks had set up a training mat in the centre of the room, and were busy sparring. Hicks and Vasquez were always keen to test the limits of their abilities. They hadn't really had much chance to do so in the chaos of the reformation, but now they were making up for lost time. Gem and Vasquez were sitting on the sidelines watching them, while the rest of the military personnel continued to monitor the city's surveillance system.

"Hey Sarah, where did you get to?" Vasquez asked as she saw her. Sarah just paused, being careful to make sure none of them saw her face, or the fact she had been crying. It had only been about an hour since she learned who her father was, and also the fact that knowledge didn't really help her cause. Her father was dead, murdered in the course of his job. Logically she knew she didn't really have any cause for complaint when it came to Fresno Bob. Her father had been sent to kill him, it was inevitable that one of them would die. On this instance tough, it was the assassin who came out on the rough end of the deal.

"I just went for a drive to clear my head." She told them, failing to tell them exactly where she had gone, or what she had found out.

"In Scott's car?" Vasquez asked her. "

"He isn't using it is he?" She replied with a shrug. "If you'll excuse me, I just want to check on something in the lab."

"What do you suppose that was about?" Gemma asked as she blocked another of Hicks' attacks. He shook his head dismissively.

"I couldn't tell you." He commented. "Anyway, we should probably be hitting the showers. It's only a few hours to the ceremony."

"Summer's just having a lie down, I told her I'd wake her in time to get ready." Gemma replied, kissing his cheek gently. "I'll go check on her."

Meanwhile, Sarah was in her lab, frantically updating the information she had on the computer fro her father. She was just about to close the file, sealing it when she noticed something about it. Mark Baxter had made a claim for travelling expenses when he went to fulfil his contract.

"I guess it's too much to hope for that the CEO signed the expenses form." She commented, following the transaction electronically. She recognised an attempt to cover up a paper trail almost instantly, but she managed to filter through a number of nonexistent corporations and holding accounts, finally finding one company based in Tokyo. The Misawa Corporation, just one of many subsidiaries of the Macha Group.

She immediately got to work, checking on the satellite network covering the globe, pulling up the most recent pictures. So far, all the efforts had been concentrated on reclaiming the Northern American continent. She checked the footage, finding to her surprise that there was no sign of any struggle in Tokyo. Indeed, there didn't appear to be any remnants of Venjix left at all in the whole country.

"This can't be right." She muttered to herself. "How could they possibly have defended themselves against Venjix?"

She zoomed in on Tokyo, finally getting to a level where she could see into the streets. Far from any signs of struggle, people walked freely in the streets. She had no idea how this could have been possible.

"Now, let's find this address." She whispered to herself. She checked it out, finding that the building was still standing, like a gigantic glass and steel monument. It was lit up, like a shining beacon over the city. She had no doubt that someone had to still be in charge there if things were going so well.

"It looks like I'm going to have to RSVP no to the ceremony." She stated, activating a hidden panel on the console, bringing out a retinal scan. She had managed to keep this project hidden, even from the Rangers for so long, she doubted if she'd ever use it. However, she had to find out if any information still existed relating to her birth. As the scan came back positive, it asked her to confirm her voice recognition.

"Access project Seraphim." She ordered it, opening a hidden compartment on the wall.

Over in Angel Grove, the jet started to descend into what used to be Angel Grove Park. Like every other place they had visited so far, much of the architecture lay in ruins, only a few buildings in any kind of state of repair worth noting. It looked like much of the city had been rebuilt to varying degrees. Justin got out of the jet, Mountain Blaster rolling out after him.

"That's where we're heading." He told them, pointing to a small, single-storey building in the distance. "That's our base of operations."

"That place?" Dillon asked him.

"Hey, we used to spend a lot of time there." Justin told him, getting into the truck. Scott realised they had touched down there because the building clearly wouldn't have room to house the jet. Reluctantly all the other Rangers got into the truck, at which Justin pulled away. "Most of the original Rangers moved away after their Ranger days. Not many of us stayed. My dad and a couple of the originals run the resistance from there."

"Wait, I thought you sad the originals were hybrids." Flynn stated. Justin shook his head.

"Only myself and the Space Rangers got dad to upgrade us." Justin informed them. "Jason decided that it wasn't safe to rely on Macha Group technology, so a couple of us didn't go through with the procedure, including him."

"Jason?" Scott asked him.

"Jason Lee Scott, the original Red Ranger." Justin told them. "He and his wife Trini own the building."

As they arrived, a roller door opened, allowing them inside. Justin pulled up next to a bright red sports car. As he got out, the others took a look around. It looked like at one time, this place had been some kind of gym. Broken down training equipment littered the room, while a bar sat at another end of the complex. Dillon pointed to a sign hanging over the bar.

"Your base of operations is a juice bar?" He asked him.

"Who's Ernie?" Ziggy asked, seeing the name on the sign. Justin went over to the bar, vaulting over it.

"Ernie used ot own this place before Jason and his wife Trini bought it over." He informed them. He activated a switch underneath the bar, at which an elevator opened up in one of the walls. "Jason added a few improvements in case we ever needed to get back into action."

The Party was a little reluctant to get into the elevator, but they did so, trusting the Blue Turbo Ranger. The elevator finally arrived in the basement, at which they found themselves in a control room, surrounded by equipment. Justin's dad had helped Jason and Trini to outfit thi new command centre when it became clear they were needed again. They saw a tall, athletic looking man standing by one of the consoles. He looked about the same age as Tommy, though he seemed to be aging just a little better. He turned towards them, smiling as he saw Justin.

"You took your time finding Corinth." He quipped playfully, coming over and shaking Justin's hand. "I'm Jason, and I'm guessing you're the latest Rangers."

"Scott Truman, team leader." Scott introduced himself with a handshake. He had gotten a little bit of the cliff notes version of the history of the Rangers from Tommy when he helped them in Vegas. He couldn't believe he was actually shaking hands with the man that started it all, the original Red Ranger. "This is Flynn, Ziggy and Dillon."

"Ziggy?" He asked, slapping Ziggy on the arm. "Your parents didn't like you much huh?"

"Jason, I can't believe you just said that!" Trini shrieked as she came over, smacking him upside the head and shaking her head in disbelief. There was a kid who looked like he was in his late teens just a little behind her. "Sorry about my husband, he doesn't seem to get the fact not everyone finds his sense of humour funny. I'm Trini, and this is our son Austin."

"And this would be the brains behind the outfit." Jason stated as another man came in. He was a lot shorter than Justin, and considerably lighter, but they couldn't deny the family resemblance. "This is James Stewart, Justin's dad."

"We really appreciate anything you can do to help us." He told them, ushering them to an area where they could sit down.

"The first thing we'll need is a full repot on the lay of the land." Scott told them. "We need to know who we're up gainst, and anything you can tell us about them."

Back in Corinth, the others were just getting ready for the ceremony, getting dressed in their finest for the occasion. Hicks was just getting used to his new dress uniform.

"So are we all ready?" He asked them as they gathered in the room, wrapping an arm around Gemma gently. Summer looked around.

"Where's Sarah?" She asked. Gemma rolled her eyes, noticing that she wasn't there.

"Sh said she wanted to check something in her lab." Gemma told them. "She probably just lost track of time."

"I'll get her." Gem volunteered, running out of the room. The others watched him go.

"What's he so excited about?" Hicks asked them. "I know there's a parade and everything, but I'd have thought Jello and Ice cream was more his scene."

"I don't think it's so much the ceremony as whose going." Gemma replied. "Marcus said he was bringing Cassandra around."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." He responded with a knowing smile. "Do you think she knows?"

"Well she is an empath." Vasquez reminded him with a shrug. "I'd be surprised if she doesn't to be honest."

Just then, Gem came back into the room with a look of confusion on his face. He was carrying a note.

"Where's Sarah?" Tenaya asked him. "Don't tell me she fell asleep at her work station again."

"She's gone." He told them, handing the note to Hicks. "She doesn't say where."

"She can't have gone far could she?" Summer asked, beginning to get a little concerned. It wasn't like Sarah to just leave without telling anyone where she was going. At very leat, they thought she'd want Scott to know she was safe.

"If it was anyone else, I'd have said no." Hicks responded. "Of course with Dr. K, she has so any tricks up her sleeve, she could be anywhere."


	20. Touchdown in Tokyo

Tokyo city had always been one of the busiest cities on the planet, at one time with a population fast approaching 13 million, and while there weren't as many as that now, the streets were always packed. Advanced aircraft constantly buzzed around the airspace, meaning that it was child's play for Sarah to enter the city undetected using the secret project she had stashed away for emergency use.

Designated "Project Seraphim", named for the highest choir of angels, was a form-fitting bodysuit, black in colour with silver trim. Its material was composed of similar material to the Ranger rigs, but with a couple of differences, the most noticeable of which was a pair of wings, large enough to bear her bodyweight attached to the back. It also possessed an advanced stealth technology, meaning that between the material, and the rig's small size, it would never appear on any scanner. Finding a dark, deserted alley, Sarah landed, finding somewhere to secret herself as she pulled her track suit out of a hidden compartment. Activating a switch on the side of her helmet, it disappeared, and the wings folded, retracting into the now-empty pack. Sarah pulled on her track suit, sipping up the jacket all the way to her throat to cover the bodysuit.

She checked quickly to make sure she hadn't been seen, before slipping out of the alley and making her way into the crowd on the streets.

She was amazed how easily she slipped into the city unnoticed. The citizens seemed oblivious to anything around them, simply going about their business and making their way with little or any thought for anything. Looking around, she noticed no one was even looking at her. Indeed, they weren't looking around at all. Everyone minded their own business and ignored everything else. While it would make her mission easier, she knew this was odd; humans were naturally curious creatures, constantly interested to find out what others were doing. It was why people were so interested in those so-called reality shows and fly-on-the-wall documentaries. So why did not one person even look in her direction?

Back in Corinth though, the others were standing around in Sarah's lab, checking the screens to see if there was any indication of where she could have gone, or what she was doing. They had known she had been upset ever since finding out about her past, but they still had no idea what could have possessed her to simply disappear.

"There's no sign of her anywhere." Gem said, throwing up his hands as he finished all the searches he could think of, short of using the satellite imaging system to visually search every square inch of the planet. For anyone else, they would have simply started searching the city, but all those searches had already shown nothing, and no one could write off what means the former Dr. K had at her disposal. It was not only possible she had left the city, but it was possible she could be anywhere on the planet. "I don't know what else we can do."

"Maybe we should call Scott." Tenaya suggested. "Perhaps he knows something."

"Scott's got his hands full right now; the others need him in Angel Grove." Hicks reminded her. "I know it sounds harsh, but if he knows about this, what do you really think he's going to do?"

"He'd come straight back to look for her." Summer sighed in response, realising he had a point.

"We all know how smart she is. If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be." Hicks reminded them. "We also know she isn't going to go anywhere unprepared, no matter how upset she is."

"Are you trying to convince us or yourself?" Gemma asked him, putting a hand on his arm. Hicks looked at her and replied a little too honestly.

"A little of both I guess." He murmured. "Look, until she lets us find her, there's nothing more we can do. Maybe we should just leave the scanners on here. The system will let us know if she sends a signal."

"So what are we meant to do? Go to the ceremony and drink champagne like nothing's happened?" Summer asked him a little incredulously.

"Summer, I care about her too, but this day is for all of Corinth!" He reminded her bluntly. "They already know that Scott, Flynn, Ziggy and Dillon are out of the city on a mission. If Dr. K doesn't show up, we can just say she was unwell. If none of us shows up, they'll know something's wrong. It could cause a panic."

Summer was about to answer, but she had to back down a little. He had a point. If none of them showed up to the celebration that was essentially in their honour, people would start to talk. It could lead to a panic that could set back all the work that had been done to rebuild the world. If the population thought there was something wrong with the people they were relying on for their safety, and more importantly, the woman who had been the architect of their new world, there was no way it wouldn't cause people to become nervous. He put an arm around Gemma and held her closely.

"I'm not saying don't worry, I know I am, all I'm saying is that we need to put in an appearance and make it look like nothing's wrong." He reminded them. "The system will let us know if anything changes, but right now, Corinth needs ALL of the Rangers."

Over in Angel Grove, Scott, Flynn, Dillon and Ziggy were sitting at a table in the underground command centre while Justin's dad checked over him. It had taken him a long time to get to Corinth, and he had used all the energy crystals he had to get there. His last one didn't have enough power to keep the dampener unit running much longer. Justin had told them he probably only had about another two weeks left.

As soon as he finished up, Justin pulled his t-shirt back on. As he went to the table to join the others, they saw Jason and Trini quietly talking to Mr. Stewart. The older man seemed decidedly upset, and they could understand why. As difficult as it was for Justin to be going through this, it was easily as hard on his father. He didn't just have to watch his son go through it, he also had to live with the fact that he had done it to him. It was his technology that was being corrupted.

"Aright guys, we want you to know what you're up against." Jason told them as he and Trini arrived at the table. Mr. Stewart excused himself from the room to go back to his work. "The cybernetic technology Mr. Stewart developed is a little different from the hybrids you're used to."

"From the schematics Dillon was kind enough to provide us of his own technology, we can tell that it isn't as advanced as the one Venjix used, he improved on the design." Trini told them, powering up an overhead projector and putting an acetate of both sets of blueprints on it. Scott and the others just looked at each other.

"An overhead projector?" Dillon asked them. "I haven't seen one of those since..."

"Your command centre is a custom-built state-of-the-art, military funded installation. Ours is the hand-built basement of a juice bar." Jason responded sharply. Dillon just gestured for him to go on with the briefing. "However, it is more dangerous in one respect. Venjix never intended his technology to be bonded to Ranger technology, so the two are not interlinked. Dillon's implants make it easier for him to use the Ranger rig..."

"Not that it's exactly hard, I mean I learned..." Ziggy chipped in, only to have Flynn nudge him in the ribs with his elbow. "I'm just going to shut up now."

"Anyway, as I was saying, the Venjix tech doesn't work alongside the Ranger tech." Jason continued, rolling his eyes at the younger Green Ranger. "However, in order to increase their power to match the supersized versions of the Venjix attack bots, Mr. Stewart designed his version to link them. When morphed, the rigs take additional power from the cybernetic technology."

"So these guys are tough." Dillon said, crossing his feet on the table casually. "So are we."

"With Venjix gone, there has to be a conduit that's putting out the control signal." Scott told them. "We've dealt with this before."

"One time it was Vasquez's cat." Ziggy chipped in, causing everyone to glare at him. "What? It was, Gemma told me so. She blasted the cat and everyone stopped going psycho."

"In Vegas, the conduit was in one of the Generals." Scott added, acknowledging what Ziggy had said. "If we destroy the conduit, we stop the signal and your friends go back to normal. We can worry about the tech Venjix used to channel the signal into their brains after they stop trying to kill us."

"So how do we find this conduit?" Trini asked them. "If one was inside a cat, then it obviously doesn't have to be big. Angel Grove isn't exactly huge, but it's still a hell of a lot of ground to cover for a transmitter..."

"I have an idea." Dillon interrupted her. "Mr. Stewart!"

Mr. Stewart came back into the room at Dillon's call. Dillon went to the projector, removing the schematics of the Space Rangers' implants, leaving his own. He pointed to the technology in the head. "This was all fried when Summer shot me with that control key, but the tech is still there."

"What are you getting at?" Mr. Stewart asked him.

"I want you to re-activate it." Dillon told him. Mr. Stewart looked alarmed.

"You can't be serious!" He shrieked. "If I do that..."

"I don't want you to wire me up to be controlled." Dillon told him. "It was wired up to the motor cortex and such like, that's how we're controlled." Dillon explained. They just stared at him. "When I was Venjix's lapdog, I downloaded all my files, I understand how all this works. Is it possible you could wire it in to another part of the brain, one that wouldn't control me?"

"It's possible." Mr. Stewart surmised. "What are you thinking of?"

"I use myself as a divining rod." Dillon explained. "Wire it into my pain centre. Then, then as the signal gets stronger, the closer I get..."

"The worse the pain gets." Ziggy concluded. "Dillon, that's..."

"Do you have a better idea how to find the conduit before Justin turns?" He asked him. All of the others looked around. It didn't sound like a great idea; it meant Dillon would be putting himself through tremendous physical pain in order to find the conduit. "Alright, Scott, you and the others worry about finding and containing the others before anyone else gets killed. Doc, wire me up. I need to find something the size of a ping pong ball in a whole city."

"So now we have to find and bring down five cybernetic Rangers." Scott stated as Dillon went with Mr. Stewart to the lab to have the procedure done.

"Four." Jason corrected him. "We already have one in isolation. It took everything we had to bring him in. That's why we sent Justin to find you."

"So four left..."

"I think you need to know what you're up against if you're going to be prepared." Jason told them. "Trini, take them to the holding cell and introduce them to Carlos."

Back in Tokyo, Sarah made her way through the streets without any kind of resistance. She eventually managed to find the address she was looking for.

Approaching the building, the headquarters of the Misawa Corporation, she checked a device on her wrist, scanning the building. It was, unsurprisingly, heavily fortified. Security surveillance covered almost every square inch of the building, and by the looks of it, all the streets and alleys immediately surrounding it. Pressure sensors, thermal scans, security doors and powerful computerised security systems covered almost every floor.

Most of all though, there appeared to be thousands of people in the building, a couple of hundred who all walked the floors in set, timed patterns carrying weapons. Security guards, a lot of them, all heavily armed.

"I guess they don't want visitors." She remarked, looking around for somewhere to get a better view. Seeing an apartment block on the opposite side of the street, she went in, and took the elevator up to the top floor. Getting out, she found the roof access. She quickly checked to make sure no one was watching, before placing a hand against the door. The fibres of the suit augmented her strength, allowing her to tear the lock open with ease.

Going up to the roof, she tore open the door there too, heading to the edge. Crouching down, taking cover behind the short wall, she called forth her helmet, acting telescopic vision to get a better look into the penthouse.

It was more akin to an art gallery than an office. Tapestries depicting ancient battles covered the walls, while sculptures, vases and ancient weaponry and suits of armour stood in place on the polished wooden floor. She couldn't have told accurately, but at a cursory glance, she would estimate the whole collection would probably have been worth billions. The office had a 360 degree view of the city, lined with glass on all sides. She could see in the centre, a desk where a surprisingly young looking Japanese man was sitting in an expensive suit, looking over some paperwork. Guards stood around the room every three feet. Zooming in, she saw one of them wearing a bodysuit she recognised from the time she was propelled into the future.

"Well I guess now I know how you kept Venjix from the door." She replied. "Unfortunately, GEARS or not, you have answers for me Mr. Misawa."

Taking off her tracksuit, stowing it behind an air conditioning unit and unfurling her wings, she broke into a run, launching herself over the edge.

Back in Angel Grove, Trini led Scott, Flynn and Ziggy to the holding cell they were using to contain the one Ranger they had actually managed to capture. She activated the key card, opening the door.

"You need to know what you're up against." She reminded them. "Please, be careful."

They went inside, at which they saw him, held to the wall by heavy restraints. He was a dark-skinned, muscular man, with long, wild black hair. He looked up at them, smiling as he saw them.

"It's always nice to see new faces." Carlos said in an insincere chuckle. "So what are you, my new waiters?"

"We're Rangers." Scott told him. "We're here to help you and your friends."

"I doubt my friends are the ones that need help little boy." He taunted him. "Nice hair by the way. I have heard that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

As the door locked, Carlos' restraints snapped open. He smiled as he saw this.

"Your new 'friends' obviously don't like you very much." He told them, reaching for his morper. "Let's Rocket!"

In another part of the base, Jason was watching the security monitor, observing the footage of the fight unfolding in the cell when Trini returned. She looked concerned.

"You know this is the only way." Jason told her. "If they can't handle Carlos, how can they expect to handle the others? TJ and Cassie might have struck out on their own, but Andros and Ashley..."

"I know their union makes them deadly." Trini sighed. "I just wish we didn't have to do this."

Just then, Dillon came staggering into the room, clutching his head. Mr. Stewart followed him, looking like he was already regretting his decision to perform the procedure.

"Dillon, are you alright?" Jason asked him. Dillon just nodded.

"I just woke up; it just takes a little getting used to." He informed him. "God, my head is killing me."

"Are you sure you're up to this?" He asked him. "Justin could come with you..."

"The others will probably need him. I'll be faster on my own." Dillon replied, shaking the cobwebs clear. "At least we know it works."

"Just stay in contact. If you need us, let us know." Jason told him, showing him his power coin. "It's been...well...let's just say a long time, but I'm not exactly helpless."

Dillon saw the screen and went over, looking on as his friends battled against Carlos. He looked back to them.

"I see what you mean about them." He responded.

"Are you...?"

"They'll be fine." Dillon assured them. "I need to get going."

"Just be careful alright?" Trini begged him. "We can't afford to lose you."

"Hey, careful is my middle name, just ask Ziggy." He replied with a smile forced through the throbbing pain in his head. "If you'll excuse me, I have a conduit to find."


	21. Meeting With Misawa

In Tokyo, the head of the Misawa Corporation, Mr. Misawa was busy monitoring the city, under the watchful eye of the GEARS that always watched him in his office. He rarely left these days, everything he needed was provided by the many employees of the Misawa Corporation.

He looked up from his monitor as he saw the GEARS rushing towards the northern most window, seeing a dark, winged assailant heading towards them at incredible speed. The stranger crashed through the glass, sending shards flying into the office, landing in a kneeling position. The wings drew back as the stranger stood before him, casting an imposing shadow. Sarah recalled her helmet, at which Misawa just stared at her.

"You...you look familiar." He stated. Sarah looked around as the GEARS started to surround her.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you don't remember me." She told him bitterly. "After all, I did only design most of the technology that paid for all of this."

Misawa smiled and stood up from his desk, observing her critically. The suit threw him off, but her face definitely appeared to be the right age. Clearly she was one of the children from the Alphabet Soup programme. He was sure after the release of the Venjix virus his partners had eliminated all the kids in the programme to prevent the world from finding out of their part in it all.

"So which one are you?" He asked her.

"Dr. K." She answered. "You have information I want."

"You're going to have to be more specific than that." He told her, making his way to the edge of the desk as his GEARS surrounded her, awaiting his order to attack. "There were three Soups."

"Mine was approximately 21 miles from the city of Corinth." She told him, the steel wings twitching a little at the mental commands she gave them, keeping her covered from unseen attacks. "My name was Sarah Marie Baxter. My father was a hitman who worked for your..."

"Ah yes, I remember Mark, he was a good operative." Misawa responded with a smirk. "It really was a shame he got scratched by that gangster."

"You...you remember him?" Sarah asked him. "But you aren't old enough. You must have been about 10 or 12 years old..."

"Believe me, I'm a lot older than I look." He told her. "Genetic enhancements are just one of the projects to come from one of the other Soups."

"So you..."

"I was the head of the Misawa Corporation when your father worked for me." He interrupted her. "I was his contractor."

"So you hired him to kill Fresno Bob?" She asked him. He just laughed in response.

"Now, why would I tell you anything like that?" He asked her. "After all, your very existence is an embarrassment to my organisation, one I will not allow to exist."

Without warning, Sarah launched a miniature missile from her suit, obliterating the elevator to prevent any more support from coming into the office. The GEARS rushed her, at which she folded her wings around herself into a protective position, preparing to fight.

Over in Corinth, the others reluctantly attended the VV day celebrations. By the time they had arrived, the festivities had already gotten well underway. The streets were lined by people, all having the time of their lives. Fireworks were being let off, street vendors were peddling snacks and souvenirs, and in general, the city was just taking the chance to unwind after all the recent reformation work.

The Rangers had all been shown to the V.I.P. enclosure near the stage in Corinth Square. None of them were really in much of a mood to celebrate, all being worried about their friends, especially Sarah who had run off by herself without giving them any indication of where she was going. As they arrived, Chas waved them over.

"Hey guys, we were starting to worry about you when you didn't show for the parade." He said, greeting them as they came over. "Where's Sarah?"

"That's why we were late." Summer told them uneasily, hoping that they wouldn't suspect she was lying to them. "She's pretty unwell; we were just making sure she was alright before we came here."

"She's just having an early night to try and get over it." Gem added. He looked around, craning his neck over the crowd. "It looks like almost everyone in the city's here. Where's Marcus?"

"He's just over by the cotton candy stand with Cassandra." Brie informed him with a little smirk, winking to the others. Gem hadn't yet said anything, but they suspected he had started to develop a little bit of a crush on Cassandra. He had been going to the orphanage on a regular basis to visit his 'little buddies' pretty much since he had arrived in Corinth, loving to play with the kids. Obviously he hadn't been visiting as often, given the times he was needed to fulfil missions, but he still went there whenever he could.

Since Cassandra had started working there though, they had noticed a difference in him whenever he went to the orphanage. He spent a lot longer getting ready before he went there, making sure he was dressed in a fresh uniform, and checking his appearance in the mirror a few times to make sure he was presentable. He constantly hummed or whistled when he had been there with her, and he noticeably brightened up any time anyone mentioned her.

"Here's some money." Tenaya told him, handing him a couple of dollars. "Why don't you go and see if she'd like some more candy?"

Gem pushed his way through them, heading over quickly without noticing that he had almost shoved most of them off their feet in his excitement. Gemma just laughed as she saw the way he acted.

"So when do the speeches begin?" Hicks asked him.

"We'll begin in a few minutes." Chas told him. "We should probably be heading backstage."

"I'll catch you later." He said to Gemma softly, kissing her cheek. "Try to enjoy yourself."

As they left, the others just talked among themselves, all the while, casting glances over to where Gem approached Cassandra and Marcus as they talked.

"Hi Cassandra." He greeted her, waving enthusiastically, causing Marcus and Cassandra to look around at him. She smiled brightly as she saw him.

"Gem, I'm so glad you made it." She replied, moving in a little closer. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Gem felt himself tensing up a little as he looked at her. She was dressed in jeans, and a souvenir t-shirt she had obviously picked up at one of the stalls. Gem tried hard to speak to her as he looked into her eyes. He was finding himself becoming incredibly nervous, and excited any time he saw her now. He finally remembered the money Gemma gave him.

"Would...you like some cotton candy?" He asked her.

"Actually she..." Marcus found his words cut off as she kicked him in the ankle as subtly as she could.

"I'd love some." She told him, stroking some of her long, dark hair out of her face. She had been working with the kids for a long time now, largely because it was easier to be around them. Their thoughts weren't as intense or painful for her to sense. Their natural innocence and lack of any real malice made them much simpler to be around without being overwhelmed. She had found herself starting to like spending time with Gem for almost exactly the same reason. The fact that he was also pretty cute certainly didn't hurt. Marcus looked between the two of them, and held up both servings of cotton candy he had bought.

"Well you know how much of a sweet tooth I have." He said as he quietly started to back away from them to give them a little privacy. Cassandra started to fidget nervously as Gem looked at her, handing over the money to get them each some more of the spun sugar treats.

A little distance away, Summer and Tenaya were watching them nervously try to have a conversation with each other. Gem came over to her side.

"It looks like my brother's finally trying to make a move." She commented with a little grin. She turned back to the others, realising that they were not really taking the same enjoyment in the spectacle of Gem's clumsy attempts to impress Cassandra as his she was. It was only then that she realised what the problem was. She was there with Hicks, and Brie had Chas. Meanwhile, both of these women not only had to worry about the whereabouts of their friend Sarah, but also the fact that the men they loved were far from the city, in the middle of a war zone.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." Gemma whispered, putting an arm around each of them.

"Things have been going so well though. We've almost librated the whole of the country." Tenaya told her. "I really thought we were close to all of this being done."

"The transport links are coming along well." Vasquez reminded them. "It'll only be another couple of weeks before we have the rail link to Mariner Bay running."

"We've almost eliminated every threat in the country." Tenaya sighed, thinking about her fiancé being so far from her and their son. "We've already accomplished so much, but when I think about the rest of the world…"

"We can't think like that. We have to keep taking it one step at a time." Vasquez reminded them. "Other than that, all we'll do is psyche ourselves out thinking about how big a task this all is."

"I just want Dillon to get home." Summer told them, looking down to her abdomen. "I just hate to think of him being in any kind of pain."

In Angel Grove, Dillon was making his way through what was left of the city. As a result of the reactivated circuitry in his brain, his head was throbbing constantly. As he neared an old newsagent's stand, he had to stop for a second, his vision beginning to blur a little as the pain in his head intensified.

"Alright, this idea sounded good on paper." He muttered to himself, steadying himself on his feet as he felt his knees becoming a little rubbery. "Maybe I should have thought this through a little more."

As he looked around, trying to regain focus, he finally managed to do so. He took a few more paces north, before feeling the pain intensifying, staggering him.

"Alright, I'm on the right path." He said to himself.

"Unfortunately for you, you aren't the only one on this path." He heard a voice behind him saying. As he steadied himself as much as he could, an African American man made his way out onto the street, confronting him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm off to see the wizard." He replied sarcastically. "Would you mind getting out of the way?"

"Not through my territory you're not." The stranger stated bluntly, rushing forward and kicking Dillon hard in the chest, sending him crashing through the newsagents' stand. Dillon picked himself up slowly.

"OK, I guess that answers one question. You're one of the Rangers aren't you?" Dillon asked him. The stranger took a bow.

"They call me TJ." He responded. "Now, how about you be a good little boy and get out of here before I really hurt you?"

"Sorry, I've come too far to stop now." Dillon replied, adopting a guard. He rushed towards TJ, trading blows with him as best as he could, ignoring the pain in his head. Eventually he managed to connect with a hard punch to the jaw, sending him tumbling back. TJ cradled his jaw, laughing as he got up.

"It looks like I'm not the only Tin Man on this Yellow Brick Road." He quipped sarcastically. "Let's see if you have an answer for this trick. Let's Rocket!"

Dillon immediately reached for his own morpher.

"RPM, Get in Gear!"

Back in Tokyo, the last of the GEARS was sent crashing through a pillar by a back-handed blow from Sarah, the Seraphim rig augmenting her strength enough to dispose of the technologically enhanced goons.

"I see you have no qualms about killing to get what you want." Misawa stated, applauding her efforts. "I have to say, that rig of yours is quite impressive."

"I've had time to perfect it." She told him, at which a miniature missile launcher appeared over her shoulder, launching a rocket straight past him, obliterating the elevator. "I also know the men in those rigs were already dead, their neural scans showed no activity."

"Well, my company likes to get the most out of its assets." He replied with a shrug. "Just because someone's dead doesn't mean they can't be of use."

"We won't be disturbed Mr. Misawa, no one's coming to your rescue." She reminded him. "Tell me what I want o know."

"Everything you want to know, could ever possibly want to know is right in that databank." He told her, pointing to the terminal he had been working on. "Of course, you don't have the greatest record with computers now do you? How do I know you won't jeopardise the world these people have."

He made his way towards the broken window, staring out over the city. He panned his hand across the horizon.

"The whole world's gone to hell, and yet Japan remains untouched, unsullied by the mistake you made." He taunted her. "Do you know why Venjix never took over here?"

"I'm guessing it has something to do with your little zombie robots." She snorted in disgust.

"You're exactly right." He told her. "I took your concept of a rig to enhance the physical attributes of a human soldier, and took the next logical step. I adapted it to a soldier who would fear nothing."

"What would someone who was already dead have to fear from death?" Sarah remarked.

"It's easy to re-animate the body; the brain was the hardest part." He told her. "The body basically runs on electrical impulses anyway, we just gave it a new processor. One that has the equivalent of a veteran of several warzones, has an intimate knowledge of weapons and tactics, and more importantly, has no capacity to question orders."

"So you drove Venjix out with these…things." She replied, kicking one of the GEARS she had destroyed earlier.

"I gave these people a world to live in. These people don't just survive like some belly-crawling parasites scratching for what's left of a long lost infrastructure. They thrive!" He told her. "You've seen this city, it's virtually unchanged!"

"I've also seen the citizens. No one looks at anyone else." She told him. "I've seen similar behaviour in other cultures. It took me a while to realise what it was that bothered me about this, but now I know."

"Please, enlighten me." He told her, gesturing for her to go on.

"Look at this place. It's a fortress! This office is a lookout tower!" She told him. "Those people aren't productive because they want to be, they're productive because they're afraid to be anything else. They're scared to look up in case they're noticed."

She stepped forward, unfurling her wings. "How many of your guards were killed by Venjix?" She asked him.

"We started out only using those that fell in battle, but we needed to step up recruitment." He told her casually. "If people weren't useful…we fond a way they could be."

With that, he picked up a katana sword from a nearby stand, drawing it, holding the sword in one hand, the scabbard in the other, adopting a guard.

"If you think for on second, I'm going to let a little failed experiment like you destroy the world I've created, think again little girl." He told her. "It's time to show you that a little genetic enhancement to reverse the aging process is far from the limit of my enhancements."

Back in Angel Grove, Dillon struggled against TJ. They were more or less evenly matched in terms of strength and skill. The advantage TJ had though was that the signal in his head only controlled him, turning him into a Venjix drone. In Dillon though, it was causing an increasingly intense pain that was quickly becoming increasingly difficult to simply put to the back of his mind and ignore.

As TJ smashed him through the wall of a building, Dillon de-morphed rolling over onto his back, clutching his head in pain. His vision blurred again as it increased to the point of crippling agony. He felt like his head was about to split in two. TJ just laughed as he looked down on him.

"You know, in my day Rangers had to be tough." He taunted him. "I have a feeling I could have kicked your butt without the tech."

De-morphing, TJ kicked him hard in the ribs, sending him flying trough a shop display. Dillon fought to regain enough composure to defend himself, but he could see that TJ was showing no interest in allowing him a breather.

"Say lights out asshole." He told him, picking up a lead pipe and preparing to smash his skull in with it. Dillon could only just make out a slightly blurry outline of a figure in silver arriving behind him, stopping him. TJ turned around, but was quickly taken to the ground.

"Goodnight asshole!" The Silver Ranger spat over the body of his former comrade. He extended a hand to Dillon. "The name's Zhane."

"Dillon." He replied, taking the hand and allowing him to help him to his feet. "Why aren't you…?"

"I was on Miranoi with my sister when the attacks took place." He told him. "I was on the Terra Venture 3, the one that went to New Tech. It took me this long to get out here and find out what was happening."

"Your old team is tearing itself apart." Dillon informed him. "And I might be the only one that can stop them."

"How?" Zhane asked him.

"I'm looking for a conduit. It's an item about the size of a ping pong ball that's giving out the signal that makes all your friends…well…assholes." Dillon informed him. "It's also the reason my head feels like it's about to explode."

"So the closer you get to this thing…"

"The worse my headache becomes." Dillon concluded. "I didn't think it would be this bad though. I just couldn't get my bearings against the Blue guy. If I come up against another of those guys…"

"Let me worry about that." Zhane told him. "You just concentrate on finding that thing."

Dillon felt something wet on his lip, and reached down, running his fingertips under it, and inspecting them. It was blood.

"I could definitely use your help." Dillon told him. "Now, let's find this thing and destroy it. Preferably before my brain haemorrhages."


	22. Angel Grove Rumble

Sarah backed away under Misawa's relentless attack, her gauntlets strong enough to parry every blow from his sword. She was not a fighter by nature, though she had been subjected to extensive physical training as part of her upbringing. Her Ranger Rigs also downloaded data and knowledge from all of her Ranger's battles into her mainframe, which she had transferred to the Seraphim rig. All the battle scenarios and manoeuvres were being uploaded directly into her brain so quickly, her body reacted with the speed and precision of years of training she didn't have. He sent her staggering with a swipe of his sword which scored a glancing hit across her breast plate.

"You can't possibly think you can walk out of here with your life, can you Sarah?" He taunted her, twirling the sword effortlessly. His strength and speed were far beyond natural. While his youthful appearance and physical health appeared to be the result of the genetic enhancements he had told her about, he clearly had also upgraded himself with cybernetic technology. "Your whole life has been one sick joke. You really think your parents gave a damn about you?"

"I know they sold me." She replied, sinking to one knee, breathing hard as she glared at him. "I just need to know why."

"I really couldn't tell you." He responded with a shrug. "Your father and mother were loyal employees for..."

"My mom worked for the Misawa Corporation?" Sarah interrupted him. Misawa gently wagged a finger at her.

"Now, that's a leading question isn't it? Still, if I'm about to eliminate the last troublesome spawn of the Galileo Project, then I suppose it doesn't matter." He told her. "Your mother didn't work for the Misawa Corporation. She worked for the Macha Group's office in Geneva. She was one of our leading scientific researchers."

"You're about to kill me anyway." Sarah reminded him, holding an arm across her chest as her wings slumped around her. She stared up at him. "Please, tell me what I am. Tell me what the Galileo Project is."

"As you know, most traits such as immunity to illness, susceptibility to others, intelligence, hair colour etc. are all held within the genetic code. For years many have tried to breed the perfect child by matching two parents of exceptional intelligence, physical fitness or some other desirable trait." He began his explanation as he strode over towards her. Her eyes never left hers, despite his sword twitching constantly, like a serpent waiting to strike. "However, as you also know..."

"Such traits tend to regress towards the mean score." Sarah concluded. "Just having two parents with a 180 IQ doesn't guarantee the child won't have a score of only 110."

"We intended to correct that." He told her. "Every employee of the Misawa Corporation and the Macha Group was tested for intelligence, with only myself, the two senior partners and the CEO being given the scores. From that, we made matches with people both within and out with the company. We made the matches, and paid the couples handsomely for their participation. Once the foetus was conceived, the mothers were subjected to regular scans and treatments to ensure desirable results."

"You genetically engineered the kids." Sarah gasped. "I'm an experiment?"

"A successful one depending on who you ask." He said with a laugh, placing the tip of the sword under her chin. "We addressed any natural regression and forced development. As a result, we ended up with children of significant intellectual gifts."

"So I was sold...before I was even born?" Sarah asked him as tears rolled down her face.

"You were never born." He corrected her. "You were created. You were our property before your mother gave birth. She was the one who came up with the concept. She created the process. She volunteered to be a test subject. It was just coincidence that the best match happened to be the hitman she was already..."

"So I'm nothing, my parents never wanted me in the first place." She sniffed, wiping her nose with her wrist.

"You'd have to ask your mother that." He replied, raising his sword, preparing to strike her head from her shoulders. "Of course something tells me you're not likely to make it to Geneva."

As it came down, Sarah's hand reached up, catching it. Misawa stared at her in disbelief.

"That's what I wanted to hear." She snarled as her right wing started to glow red. She swung it in a powerful arc, slicing his arm from his body. Misawa screamed as he staggered away, clutching the stump. Sarah threw the arm, still holding the sword over the edge of the building.

"I cauterised the wound, you are in no danger of bleeding to death." She informed him. She removed her hand from her chest, showing that his swipe, despite the power, had not penetrated her armour. Misawa rushed towards her, launching into a frenzied attack with his feet and his one remaining arm. Eventually, Sarah grabbed him by the throat with both hands and flew upwards, slamming him into the ceiling, before bringing him crashing back to the floor. She mounted him, bringing her left knee onto his chest, and clamping his right arm to the floor with her wings.

"My mother's still alive isn't she?" Sarah roared angrily as she clamped a hand around his throat.

"If I tell you anything the partners..."

"Then your partners are also alive." Sarah interrupted him, realising what he had said.

"If I say anything they'll kill me!" He screamed. "You'll never make me talk; I have no fear of death."

"Who said I intend to kill you?" Sarah asked him as her left wing started to glow red. She brought it up, slicing off another piece of his missing arm, before bringing it back to its original position, clamping his arm down. "I could keep you alive for days like this. I could take you piece by piece."

"Their names are Dupree and Ulyanov." He told her quickly. "Ulyanov operated from somewhere in the old Communist Bloc, I don't know exactly where he's from. The boss made sure we never knew too much about each other. Dupree was French-Swiss. We were close once, he told me he worked out of an institute that was deep below the ground in Switzerland..."

"What about your boss?" Sarah asked him.

"I don't know who he is!" He shrieked in his panic. "He always contacted us through video conferencing, and always hid his identity; I don't know who he is!"

"I believe you." Sarah told him. "Do you know where I can find either of them?"

"Dupree had a lab several miles underground. It was somewhere underneath Geneva." He told her. "That's all I know, I swear!"

Sarah produced a small device, around the size of a tennis ball, and pressed a button.

"This will release an electromagnetic pulse. It will disable all your security systems, and I'm guessing probably all of your GEARS too." She informed him, tossing it aside. "I've recorded this whole conflict. I'm downloading it to SPD's mainframe; you can expect operatives to arrive within the hour."

She got up, making her way towards the edge of the roof, standing on the precipice. Misawa got back to his feet.

"I'll be killed, there's nowhere I can be safe, not even SPD can protect me!" He implored her. "Please, grant me a merciful..."

"I'll not make things so easy." Sarah replied coldly, her rage still consuming her as she called her helmet. "Your office is full of Samurai artefacts. Why not take their example. If you want to die, have the guts to do it yourself."

With that, she took off, heading off on her journey once more. Seeing his office in ruins, and knowing that it would not be long until SPD arrived to take control, Misawa made his way over to a fallen suit of armour, removing a dagger from its sheath. Taking a moment to contemplate his actions, he plunged it into his stomach.

Over in Angel Grove, Zhane escorted a restrained TJ through the ruins as Dillon continued on his journey. TJ laughed as Dillon collapsed down a slope of fallen rubble.

"Your brilliant plan to take this city from us is to follow this guy?" He asked Zhane. "God, you're even more deluded than when you were with..."

Zhane silenced him with a swift punch to the jaw. Dillon go to his feet, checking his nose again, realising the bleeding had not subsided.

"How are you feeling?" Zhane asked him.

"I feel like all four of the RPM megazords are using my head as a bongo." He replied honestly. "I hope we aren't too far out now."

"I hope so too." Zhane told him, looking around. "I recognise this place. It was..."

"Of course you remember this place; I brought you here all the time when we were trying to acclimatise you to Earth." The Pink Space Ranger stated as she walked into view. "I guess it's no surprise they got you TJ."

"Bite me Cassie!" He yelled in response. Zhane quickly morphed and knocked TJ out with a knee to the face.

"We don't have to do this Cassie." He told her. "We're trying to help you."

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't need help." Cassie told him.

"Dillon, keep going, I'll catch up." Zhane ordered him. "I'll take care of her."

In another part of Angel Grove, Justin was leading Flynn, Scott and Ziggy through the ruins. They had gotten through their trial bout with Carlos, bruised but intact. Justin pulled Ziggy into a hiding place by a short wall.

"That's where the most dangerous people in Angel Grove reside." He told them.

"It looks like a mall." Dillon commented. Justin rolled his eyes.

"It was a mall, but they use that as their kingdom." He informed them. "Andros and Ashley are seriously not to be underestimated."

"Why are we going after them?" Scott asked him. "Why not look for the conduit?"

"If we can take them out, we only have to worry about TJ and Cassie." He explained. "Don't you think it'll be easier to find it if we have all the Rangers under wraps?"

"So how dangerous are they?" Scott asked him.

"Why don't we find out?" He heard a male voice ask him. He looked up to see a tall man, with a toned, healthy physique standing on a nearby building. He was wearing only a tight pair of black leather trousers, and a long, flowing red cloak. He wore a crown, made of a mass of gold, roughly moulded into shape, with a large, glowing jewel in it, the size of a ping pong ball. A blonde woman stepped into view a little way behind him, draping an arm over his shoulder.

"So, who do we have challenging us for our territory today?" Ashley asked him, casting an eye over them. "Why, is that Justin, our little blue mascot?"

"I'm nobody's mascot Ashley!" Justin snapped in response. "I was part of the team!"

"You were the part of the team they left behind on Earth." Andros reminded him, cupping Ashley's cheek with his hand, turning her face towards him, kissing her passionately. "No wonder your friends traded up when they had the chance."

"How about we just get this over with?" Scott asked him. "Come on down! We're waiting right here!"

"Lets' Rocket!" They chorused together, activating their morphers.

In Tokyo, a VTOL craft made its way to the Misawa Corporation building, landing on the balcony. As the door opened, a man stepped out.

He was about six feet tall, with short, dark, spiky hair, and a set of grey coveralls, trimmed in green. The letters SPD were printed on the breast. He looked around, letting out a long, low whistle as he saw the scene of devastation in the office. His partner, a blonde woman, dressed similarly, with her uniform trimmed in yellow came in behind him.

"What the hell happened in here?" She gasped. "I thought we were getting a clean pick up!"

"I guess we are Dippy." The SPD Green Ranger commented. "It looks like we'll have no resistance to bringing in our team."

"So where's Misawa?" Dippy asked him. "Scott..."

"I think that's him over there." He replied, gesturing to a one-armed corpse lying in a pool of his own blood. He went over; pulling out a small, hand-held device and pressed the one hand it had left into it. The fingerprints verified the identity. "It's him alright."

Dippy got onto her communicator, linking to Corinth.

"This is Serendipity, SPD Earth Yellow Ranger." She began. "We have a situation here."

Back in Angel Grove, Andros was slammed through a wall, back into the mall, using his sabre to fend off the attacks from both Flynn and Ziggy's Nitro Swords.

"You young ones don't know the first thing about being Rangers!" He snapped, taking Ziggy down violently. "You have nothing on us!"

"We didn't need to second-rate technology to get us through!" Flynn roared, rushing forward, slamming him into a wall. As he did so, they heard a crash as the skylight caved in. Dillon tumbled towards them, clutching his head, screaming in agony.

"Dillon, we could really use a hand here!" Flynn told him.

"You're relying on this guy to save you?" Andros taunted him, slashing him across the chest, sending him to the floor in a shower of sparks. "You really are more desperate than I ever would have imagined."

Dillon's vision was worse than ever as he slowly started to recover. Every movement hurt as he tried to figure out where he was. Eventually he noticed the Red and Yellow Space Rangers battling his friends. What really caught his attention though was the Red Ranger. He was wearing a long, flowing red cloak, but more than that, he was wearing a crown, with a distinctive jewel on it.

Dillon got to his feet, struggling against every instinct in his body to simply give up and accept his fate. He strode towards Andros, reaching out for him.

"What do you want little man?" Andros sneered. "Do you want to fall by my sword?"

"Hold him guys!" Dillon snarled as he used the last of his strength to launch himself forwards. Flynn and Ziggy held his arms fast, preventing him from intervening, but just stared in disbelief as all Dillon did was swipe the crown off his head.

"Dillon, what...?"

Just then, he grabbed the crown, feeling like every inch of his brain was on fire as he did so, and slammed it with all his strength into the floor. The gem shattered, and sparks flew from it. Andros and Ashley stopped fighting immediately.

"What...what happened?" Andros asked as he looked around.

"Justin?" Ashley asked her fellow team mate. "When did you get tattoos?"

"Mission accomplished." Scott and Justin roared, high-fiving each other. "How's Dillon?"

"I've been better." He muttered as Flynn and Ziggy helped him back to his feet. "Can we go to the Command Centre and get this shit out of my head now?"

I think you've earned it." Scott replied. "Come on guys, lets' get you all home."


	23. Interlude

Hicks was backstage, having postponed his speech while he took the communication from SPD on a hand-held communicator. Gemma was right beside him, listening in.

"So you're seriously trying to tell us that you've taken the whole of Japan?" He asked in shock. Serendipity just shrugged.

"The country never fell, the Misawa Corporation managed to keep the drones out." She told him. "Someone took out Misawa and all his troops, so we've taken the country back without resistance."

"Are you sure it was Sarah?" Gemma asked her. She and Serendipity hadn't strictly speaking met, but the SPD team in New Tech had been in constant contact with the RPM team in Corinth. They knew each other to an extent.

"It was her private channel that carried the signal." Dippy informed her. "Everyone here's going on and on about an angel smashing up Misawa's office. I think we can safely say that was her."

"So where did she go?" Hicks asked her.

"Only Misawa knew." Scott chipped in, moving into view on the screen. "Unfortunately, he turned himself into a shish kebab before we arrived."

"We've almost finished here sir." A vice came from behind him. A woman in a Red Ranger rig, trimmed in black armour came into view. "The site's clean."

"Thanks." Scott told her.

"Who was that?" Gemma asked him. Scott shook his head.

"Doggie had another Ranger team brought in to help us, they're our SPD B-Squad." Scott informed her. "That was Charlie, and...you know for the life of me I can never remember the others' names."

"Ignore him, he's just not cool with the whole second team thing." Dippy informed them.

"I'm fine with a second team, I just have reservations with a team that was trained off-world." He told her. "I mean, what's wrong with Sky and his friends? He's strong, he's smart..."

"He's 15." Dippy reminded him. "Maybe in a few years he'll be ready for Ranger duty."

"Anyway, we have work to do here. We're still waiting on a security team to take the strain here." Scott informed him. "We'll update you on the progress later."

"Thanks Scott, over an out." Hicks replied, killing the link. "Well we know where she's been at least."

"What do you think they meant with all that 'angel' stuff?" Gemma asked him.

"She has to have gotten there somehow." He replied. "I'm guessing she had a weapon of some kind that she hadn't told us about."

"So what do we tell Scott?" Gemma asked him. "We have to tell him some time."

"Let him secure Angel Grove and come home." Hicks stated. "There's no point burdening him with this until then."

"But..."

"Gemma, I don't like it either, but what good do you really think it's going to do to worry him about this?" He asked her. "Once he's back, we'll tell him everything, I swear, but right now, it's best he doesn't know."

"I just hate lying to my friends." She replied sadly, casting a look over to the curtain. It was parted just enough that she could see her brother and Cassandra in the front row of the audience, awaiting the speech. Gem's arm was around her, and both of them were smiling, holding cotton candy as they waited for the speeches and presentations to begin.

"I know you do, it's one of the toughest things about a leadership role. I've learned that lesson already." He assured her. "Scott will know when it's good time. Until then, we all have to make it look like things are alright."

"It's time for your speech." Chas informed him. "You can't put it off any longer."

"Go ahead." Gemma told him. "I'll be here when you get back."


	24. Final Chapter RABW

A/N: As noted, this will be the final chapter posted on this account. Once again, thank you to all my readers for their support and kind words.

Sarah touched down in Geneva, finding it completely unlike what she had found in Tokyo. Where Misawa and his GEARS had kept it much the same as it had been before Venjix had been unleashed on the world, Switzerland appeared to be very much how she expected it. It was desolate, a wasteland. No recognisable structures still stood, everything having been destroyed by Venjix's armies.

She performed a scan from her suit's computer, finding no trace of Venjix technology. Increasing the range of the scan, she found none anywhere within the city limits.

"Well that's one less thing to worry about." She muttered to herself. She performed a scan for energy in the area, and found a huge energy output from underneath her feet, and extending many miles."

"I guess I confirmed there is something underground." She commented to herself. "All I need to do is find the way in."

Meanwhile, in Angel Grove, Scott, Flynn and Ziggy were finishing up loading the jet with the help of TJ and Carlos while Cassie and Ashley watched on. Justin finally returned to the room with Dillon.

"Are you nearly ready to go?" Flynn asked him.

"Sure." Dillon replied, his hand straying to the dressing on his head. "I'm glad to get that stuff out of my head, but I'm really not looking forward to telling Summer about this."

"I guess it will be a little hard to explain the hole in your head." Scott commented. "Anyway, are you sure you guys will be alright?"

"I got off the communications link with Carter." Andros informed him, telekinetically lifting the last of the luggage into the jet. "We'll be fine clearing up a little until his relief team arrives."

"Well that's almost it for the American efforts." Ziggy said with a huge smile. "According to the latest figures, only about 5 percent of the North American Continent isn't secured."

"Well that's a relief at least." Flynn responded. "You guys keep in touch alright?"

"You know we will." Jason assured him, shaking his hand. Just then the communications link burst into life.

"Emergency broadcast, come in guys quick!" Summer screamed over the line. "Flynn, come in!"

"Flynn here." He responded, getting on the link. "What is it Summer? Is everything alright?"

"Flynn, get on that jet and get the afterburners burning right now!" She yelled at him. "Sam's gone into labour."

"Come on guys, we haven't a moment to lose." Scott instructed them, ushering them onto the jet quickly. "Sorry to bail guys..."

"Don't worry, we understand." Trini assured them. "Good luck Flynn."

"Thanks guys!" He replied cheerfully as Scott fired up the engines, closing the door.

Back in Geneva, Sarah found what she was looking for. The building was lying in ruins, but the high, barbed wire lined fences indicated that at one time this installation had been a secure facility. Making her way up to the fence, she activated the telescopic vision on her helmet, checking out the lay of the land. She smiled at what she saw.

"If this is a ruin, then why are the cameras still working?" She asked herself. Just then, she saw a couple of men walking by. They were armed. Upon closer inspection, she realised they were GEARS. "I guess I've found the right place."

With that, she brought forth her wings, and took off, soaring over the fence, swooping across the courtyard, taking down the GEARS quickly. Knowing that in this time, they were nothing more than animated corpses, she held no worries about killing them, knowing that the only way to defeat them was to render them incapable of continuing.

She retracted her wings, folding them into the cargo bay in the back of her armour as she turned to look at the structure they were defending. It was an elevator, and by the looks of things, it was still active.

"I guess by now everyone knows I'm coming anyway." She stated, using the powered gauntlet to tear the control panel off, allowing her access to the inner workings, re-routing the security on the elevator to bring it to the surface. "I guess I have nothing to lose by using the front door."

As the elevator door opened, Sarah noticed that it was empty. She also knew that there was no way getting in was going to be that easy. She just got into the elevator, prepared for anything that the installation could throw at her.

Back on the jet, Flynn was pacing as they raced through the skies as quickly as they could. It was understandable that he was nervous. It was within the last month of her pregnancy, but Sam was still in labour a couple of weeks premature. He knew that the medical teams in Corinth were more than capable, and it wasn't as if he could do anything practical to help her right now anyway, but he still couldn't help wishing he was there.

"Flynn, try to calm down." Ziggy told him soothingly, trying to get him to stop pacing. "Sam's in good hands."

"You should listen to him." Dillon added quietly. "He has gone through this already."

"Tenaya also didn't exactly have a full medical crew to hand." Ziggy reminded him.

"Doesn't this heap go any faster?" Flynn snapped at Scott.

"I already told you, I can't activate the afterburners until we're above cloud level." He yelled back. "It's the safest way!"

"Then get above cloud level man!" He snapped.

"If we climb too quickly we'll stall!" Scott stated firmly. "Now for God's sake, get into your seat! If I hit the afterburners when you're not strapped in, we'll be scraping what's left of you off the back wall!"

Flynn reluctantly went to his seat, strapping himself in and beginning to chew his fingernails nervously. Ziggy put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, hoping to ease him a little. He could empathise with what Flynn was going through; knowing that the woman he loved was giving birth to his first child. It was a cruel twist that it was happening while he wasn't there.

At that exact moment, in Corinth City, Summer was in the hospital, waiting for word from the delivery room. Another cruel twist was that Sam didn't have any living family other than Flynn. Summer wasn't able to go into the delivery room with her. All she could do was wait outside for her. She couldn't help holding a hand over her stomach, which was already beginning to show, and wonder whether perhaps she was fortunate not to see what was going on. After all, in only six months, it would be her turn.

She pulled out her communicator, glancing at it again to see whether there had been any further communication from Flynn. He obviously hadn't managed to get any further messages to them. If Sarah had been around, she would probably have told them how long it would take them to get Flynn to the hospital at top speed. That was yet another conversation she wasn't looking forward to having. Once Scott got back, she had to tell him that Sarah had left, and so far they still had no idea where she was.

So far all they knew was that she had visited Tokyo, and had destroyed the main office of the Misawa Corporation. SPD was in the process of securing Japan completely uncontested as a result of her efforts. Of course they were now in the situation that while they knew where she had been, they had no idea where she was going. Just like when she left, she had somehow managed to block any attempt they had made to scan for her. There was no way they could find her. Given what had happened in Misawa's office, it was clear that whatever she was involved in was dangerous, all they could hope was that she knew what she was getting into.

Her communicator sounded, drawing her attention. Summer fumbled to answer it.

"Hello?" She answered quickly.

"It's Scott." He informed her. "We're above cloud cover, and are hitting the afterburners. We should be there in a couple of hours."

"How's Flynn holding up?" Summer asked him.

"About as well as we can expect." Scott told her. "How's Mr. McAllister?"

Summer immediately slapped her forehead as she heard him say this. In her rush and panic to tell Flynn and get him and Sam to the hospital, she had forgotten all about contacting Flynn's dad.

"Sorry, I just had a blonde moment." She groaned, realising her mistake. Not only was Mr. McAllister the baby's grandfather, and almost as eager to hear anything about the birth as Flynn, he was also, through her marriage to Flynn, a relative of Sam's. He would be allowed into the delivery room. "I haven't told him yet."

Over in Geneva, in a lab several miles below ground, a woman was working on a number of computer systems. A man in a lab coat ran into the lab, stumbling as he went. She rolled her eyes as she heard him clamber clumsily up the steps to the platform her computer was on.

"Mistress, there's been a security breach!" He screamed at her. "Someone has accessed the elevator!"

"You useless idiot, I knew that 39 seconds ago." She sighed in exasperation, turning towards him. She had a slightly aged, wizened face, and long, silver hair. She wore a long, white lab coat, and thick glasses. As she stood up, she was shorter than the man, but he quailed in fear at her gaze. She looked at him in disgust, like he was something dragged in from a landfill site. "The intruder took out two GEARS and accessed the elevator."

"She's on her way down as we speak!" He shrieked. "Professor, what do we do?"

"I've activated the elevator's security system and put it on deadly force." She informed him. "Put the corridor on full lockdown, and send the GEARS to the entry hall. Just leave me and Prometheus to our research."

"But ma'am..."

"Just go and don't bother me again!" She snapped, waving him off, before turning back to her work. The spineless toady turned and ran off to comply with her command. Good help was so hard to find, but then when you had the intelligence of Professor Baxter, pretty much everyone around you was an idiot. She transferred the footage to the entry bay to watch her troops fish the intruder's lifeless corpse...what was left of it anyway...out of the elevator.

As it opened, used bullets cascaded from it, the sentry guns having emptied into the confined space, and the thick, poisonous smoke billowed out, the tanks having vented into the elevator.

"Check the elevator." She told them. "I want confirmation of the kill."

As the first of the GEARS approached, an explosion sent a few of them flying back.

In the entrance bay, the next few GEARS approached the elevator slowly, the toxic air having no effect on them being reanimated corpses. As they got closer, they searched through the fog. Professor Baxter accessed their visual link, seeing what they saw. As they got close enough, she saw a dark, elliptical shape in the elevator. As they got closer, it opened up, showing a dark, winged figure inside. It appeared to be a person in some form of armoured suit. The wings sliced the first two GEARS in half as it opened up.

"Avon calling!" The intruder sneered sarcastically, launching into the attack. Professor Baxter just gave a dismissive snort.

"So you come to me with a battle rig and think that will bring me down?" She asked herself, turning a key on the system. "Time for you to find out what Prometheus is all about."

Scott plotted his flight path, calculating how long it was until he had to kill the afterburners and begin the descent back below cloud cover to communicate with the tower for permission to approach Corinth's airspace. As he checked his scans, he de-activated the afterburners.

"Alright guys, we're nearly there." He told them, beginning the descent. "We'll be on the ground in an hour."

"An hour?" Flynn roared. "What are you doing man? Can't we get there any faster?"

"We need to slow down to descend Flynn!" Scott reminded him. "I know this is hard, but you have to just stay patient!"

"My wife's giving birth as we speak!" Flynn reminded him. "Come on man, can't we go any faster?"

"If I land this thing any faster, I'll slam into the tarmac!" Scott informed him. "Is that what you want?"

He got onto the communicator, raising the control tower.

"Corinth control, this is the Red Ranger, requesting clearance to land." He announced.

"Red Ranger, this is Corinth Control, we have already been briefed on your situation." He heard Vasquez reply, getting a grin on his face. "Tell Flynn that Sam is at Central Corinth Hospital, and the helipad is clear. We figure that should be big enough for a pilot of your talents to land on."

"Thanks Vasquez." Scott told her. "Flynn, did you hear that?"

"I'm being quiet." He replied. "Just get me there, please."

Back in Geneva, Sarah worked her way through the GEARS that blocked her path to the main lab, before finding the security doors blocking her path.

She surged forward, slamming into the doors, buckling them ominously with her mechanically-enhanced strength. Preparing for another strike, giant, mechanical claws tore through the steel from the other side, and they flew inwards, allowing her inside. Sarah tried to get away as a metal tentacle came forward, but it was too quick, wrapping around her. She struggled against it as it pulled her inwards, slamming her against the roof of the chamber, then the floor stunning her, before bringing her into view.

Professor Baxter was sitting beneath a see-through dome of near-indestructible glass inside a gigantic robotic structure. It had caterpillar tracks for mobility, and four clawed arms. Six tentacles extended from the back, flailing around wildly.

"I have no idea who you are, but coming here was the biggest mistake of your life!" Professor Baxter sneered. Sarah felt the claw crushing the suit, feeling it tighten around her. If it wasn't for the armour, she was certain that it would have easily sliced her in half. "Meet Prometheus."

With that, Sarah found herself being slammed into the floor hard. Her visor flashed up numerous warnings of critical trauma, threatening her safety. This rig was powerful, so powerful it was putting the structural integrity of her armour. She knew her life was in danger, even with the Seraphim rig.

Sarah rolled aside, over and over as the arms and tentacles slammed down onto the floor, attempting to smash her into oblivion. She got to her feet just as a missile launcher emerged from Prometheus' body, firing a salvo. She avoided all the blasts she could, but was thrown hard against the wall.

"That armour of yours is impressive, but not impressive enough." Professor Baxter taunted Sarah. "Now, do you want to show me who you are before, or after I twist your head off?"

Sarah looked up, getting to her feet and recalling her helmet, cradling her ribs.

"I'm here to speak to your boss." Sarah announced. "I want information!"

Professor Baxter performed a scan, and smirked as the program came back with the results.

"It seems my little girl has grown up." She snorted. Sarah looked up into the dome in horror. Looking into Professor Baxter's face, she could see a resemblance, and despite her mind racing for any logical way this couldn't be true, in her heart she was certain that this was her mother. "You shouldn't be here Sarah."

"I want answers!" Sarah roared at her. "I came to speak with your boss, the senior partner. Misawa told me where to find you!"

She took a couple of slow steps forward, glaring at her intently.

"You owe me that much!" She yelled as tears rolled down her face. "You sold me! You stole my life!"

"You were nothing to me!" Professor Baxter stated coldly. "You were an experiment, the product of a reaction, the scum at the bottom of a beaker."

"I was your daughter!" Sarah reminded her. "Tell me what I want to know!"

"The senior partner does not exist. I had one of my lackeys wear a suit and sit in meetings in my stead." Professor Baxter informed her. "I am the senior partner."

"Then you're the one I need to talk to." Sarah replied. "You're the one that owes me my life back!"

"I owe you nothing!" She snapped back, two of the tentacles surging forward and wrapping around her arms, holding her in place, before slamming her into the wall. "You were merely an asset, one that went bad on us."

Sarah had heard enough. She now knew that if she was going to get the answers she needed from her mother, she needed to force her. A stream of ink launched from her breast plate, smearing over the bubble to block her mother's view, before launching power blasts from her gauntlets which created enough space for her to release herself.

"Do you really think I need to see you to fight you?" Professor Baxter asked her daughter. "I have..."

Sarah moved far too quickly for the much larger rig to respond. She fired off an explosive which tore off both the right arms, at which she landed on the back of the machine, grabbing the tentacles. Planting her feet against the back of the machine, she ripped them off.

"You little..."

Before Professor Baxter could finish, Sarah had launched another couple of explosives, destroying the tracks. The battle suit fell to the floor, sparks showering everywhere. Sarah used her razor-sharp wings to frantically slice at the dome, finally carving through. She found her mother inside, trapped in the structure. She grabbed her collar, strangling her slightly.

"Tell me what I want to know." She demanded. "Who did this to me?"

"I don't know, the CEO never let us know who he was." She screamed at her.

"Maybe the last partner knows." Sarah reminded her. "Where is he?"

"He operated out of Eastern Europe." She informed her daughter.

"I know that much already!" Sarah informed her. "Where?"

"He contacted us after the attacks. His facility was safe from the Venjix attacks because of the radiation." She recalled. "He said the background radiation..."

"Chernobyl." Sarah interrupted her. "The radiation in that area's been affecting the flora and fauna in that region since the meltdown."

With that, she turned to leave.

"Please, don't leave me here alive!" Professor Baxter shrieked. "You have no idea how ruthless these people are!"

"It's a bit late for motherly concern." Sarah replied coldly. "SPD will be here to arrest you shortly."

"Whatever you do, do not go to Chernobyl." She replied sharply.

"I need to." Sarah replied. "If you won't get me the information..."

"If you go there, you will have to face your family!" Professor Baxter interrupted her. Sarah turned to her in disgust.

"I have no family!" Sarah snapped. Professor Baxter just sneered at her one last time.

"Tell that to your sister." She replied, before activating a timer. Realising it was most likely a self-destruct mechanism; Sarah activated her wings, soaring through the installation. As she reached the elevator, she curled the wings around herself protectively and activated boosters in her boots, launching her through the roof like a missile. Her internal computer systems scanned, letting her know when she had reached the surface, allowing her to break through into the open air, just as the explosion ripped through the installation. The whole area sank down several feet as the installation collapsed in on itself. Sarah landed, taking stock of her situation.

The scans of her rig informed her that the battle had cost her dearly. As well as some painful injuries, some of her systems were damaged. She knew that the wisest solution was to simply return to Corinth for repairs and to recuperate.

It also hurt deeply to have met her mother, and confirmed finally what Misawa had told her. She truly wasn't wanted. She was merely conceived as a project for their think tank. The mistake her mother had made though, the thing that had cost her life was to underestimate her product. She had created her to be freakishly intelligent, but had not considered the possibility that Sarah would surpass her. Sarah had created the superior weapons system.

Considering her options, giving serious thought to simply giving up and going home, she remembered what Professor Baxter had told her. Not only was the last partner, the only one who might know where the CEO was still alive, but she had also told her one more thing she had to know the truth behind. She had a sister. Despite her knowledge it wasn't the smartest decision; she unfurled her wings and headed for Chernobyl.


End file.
